SC mandates timely victim compensation orders by trial courts

The Supreme Court on Friday directed trial courts across the country to issue appropriate orders for payment of compensation to victims of crime at the time of delivering judgments, lamenting that survivors are often left to run around to secure compensation that the law already entitles them to.

- Utkarsh Anand

A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and R Mahadevan said that one of the primary reasons compensation remains unpaid is the absence of clear judicial directions from special or sessions courts, which results in the burden shifting onto the victim to apply separately before legal services authorities.