NT Reporter
Panaji
The state government has notified the ‘Goa Victim Compensation Scheme, 2026’ for providing funds for the purpose of compensation to the victim or dependants who have suffered loss or injury as a result of the crime and who require rehabilitation.
The victim can claim the compensation even if the offender is acquitted due to insufficient or lack of evidence or even if the offender is not traced or identified. On the other hand, the application for compensation may be rejected if the applicant, after having filed the complaint, wilfully turned hostile in the trial and has not supported the case of the prosecution.
Under this scheme, the maximum compensation is up to Rs 10 lakh in case of injury causing severe mental agony to women and child (in human trafficking and rape cases). In case of victims of acid attack the maximum compensation is up to Rs 5 lakh while in case of victim of lynching/mob violence the maximum compensation is up to
Rs 2 lakh.
The scheme says that in case of death of the sole earning member of the family where children are minor and or unemployed the compensation is up to Rs 2 lakh; in case of loss of any limb or part of the body resulting below 40 per cent disability the solatium is up to Rs 10,000.
An application for compensation has to be made within 180 days from the date of commission of the crime. It has to be submitted to the State or District Legal Services Authority along with a copy of the first information report/complaint, medical report, death certificate, complaint made to the court (in case where the police have not registered the FIR) newspaper report, if any.
After verifying the claim and after due inquiry, the State Legal Services Authority or District Legal Services Authority shall award compensation within a period of two months from the date of such recommendation or application.
The award of compensation under this scheme shall be subject to the condition that if later on the trial court while passing the judgment orders the accused person to pay any amount by way of compensation under sub-section (3) of Section 396 of the Act, the victim shall refund the amount of compensation awarded under this scheme, or the amount of compensation received in pursuance of the order passed under sub-section (3) of Section 396 of the Act, whichever is less.
The victim or dependant will be eligible for compensation in following circumstances, a recommendation is made by the court for compensation or the offender is not traced or identified, but the victim is identified, and no trial takes place, no compensation has been paid for the loss or injury under any other scheme of the central or state government, insurance company or any other institution. The loss or injury sustained by the victim has caused substantial loss of income to his family making it difficult to meet their both ends without any compensation; or death of minor victim; or the offender is acquitted due to insufficient/lack of evidence.
Such applications can be rejected if the applicant has failed to take all reasonable steps to inform the police or other body or person considered by the State or District Legal Services Authority to be appropriate for the purpose about the circumstances giving rise to the loss or injury; or the applicant failed to co-operate with the police or the court to bring the accused to justice. If the applicant has failed to give all reasonable assistance to the State or District Legal Services Authority for deciding the application or the applicant, after having filed the complaint, wilfully turned hostile in the trial and has not supported the case of the prosecution and if the alleged crime prima-facie is collusive in nature and not based upon verifiable facts.
