The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday directed the deputy commissioner and Palamau SP for payment of Rs 2 lakh compensation to a Dalit gangrape victim in Jharkhand.

“As per reports (of the district magistrate and SP Palamau), a compensation of Rs 2 lakh has been approved for the victim. Chargesheet has already been filed in the matter. In view of all the above, the DM and SP, Palamau, Jharkhand are directed to take further steps for the payment of victim compensation in the matter,” the NHRC has directed after closing the hearing in the complaint case on Tuesday.

PUCL had filed a complaint to the NHRC in October last year about the gangrape of a Dalit woman and failure on the part of the police to include section 376D of IPC in the FIR and allegation of constant threats to the victim from the accused persons.

The commission had on April 17 directed SP Palamau and the DM of Palamau to submit the report with regard to payment of compensation to the victim.

“The police filed a charge sheet in the case in the Jharkhand High Court under section 341/323/448/504/354/ 34 IPC and section 3 (1) (s) and section 3 (2) of the SC/ST Act. Since the charge sheet has been submitted against the accused the Superintendent of Police, Palamau, Jharkhand and Deputy Commissioner, Palamau, Jharkhand are directed to submit report with regard to payment of compensation to the victim of the case as per the SC/ST Act,” the NHRC had directed in April.

“The victim has been constantly harassed by the investigating officer (IO) and the Palamau SC/ST police station in-charge by not conducting the investigation according to the law in a serious case of gang rape, resulting in direct/indirect benefit to the accused persons. The victim has clearly stated in her FIR that she was gang-raped by accused Abhishek Kumar Chandravanshi and Dilip Kumar Chandravanshi in a brutal manner on the fateful night of August 4 last year,” alleged Arvind Avinash, a senior functionary of PUCL Jharkhand who had taken the case to the NHRC.

“Since we took up the issue with the senior police officials and the NHRC, the police added section 376 D of the IPC which deals with allegations of gang rape and arrested one of the accused Abhishek Kumar Chandravanshi. The other accused name is yet to be added. We have filed a writ petition in the high court too last year and hearings are on in the case,” said Arvind Avinash.