Bombay HC raps Maharashtra government for failure to appoint officers in Domestic Violence cases

The Bombay High Court on Wednesday pulled up the Maharashtra government for failure to implement court's 2010 order regarding appointment of protection officers for each tehsil as provided under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.

The division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka expressed anguish over the inaction. If the government did not take the order seriously, it would initiate action for contempt of court, the High Court said. The judges asked the state's advocate general Sunil Manohar to appear on January 16 when a public interest litigation on the issue would be heard. The court also sought names of the officers who were guilty of not implementing the order, so that contempt action can be taken.

In February 2014, another bench had given the high powered committee of the women and child welfare department a week's time to clear the proposal for appointment and forward it to the finance department.

"The next time, we will get serious. By now, the whole process should have been over. This is not correct. On next occasion, we will take some unpleasant steps against the secretaries of the concerned departments," the court had said. As many as 2,164 protection officers are supposed to be appointed across the state. Under the DV Act, protection officer has the power to conduct inquiry into complaints of domestic violence.