Patil favours compensation to victims of criminal incidents

New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) The Centre has begun an effort to improve the Criminal Justice System to ensure that the victim of a crime is adequately compensated, Home Minister Shivraj Patil informed the Lok Sabha today.

Winding up a six-hour-long debate on Demands for Grants for his ministry, he said the present system only provided for punishment to the person who committed a crime. At the same time, the victim or his family was not compensated, though he was the real sufferer.

Pointing out that a committee was looking into the missing compensation part in the present criminal justice system, Mr Patil said the government would bring forward a legislation after proper consultation with the political parties, social organisations, jurists and NGOs.

Instead of dismissing states under Article 356 of the Constitution for breakdown of law and order, there was a thinking in favour of sending central forces in the event of the state finding it difficult to control disturbances in one or two districts.

"This proposal is being discussed at different levels," he said, pointing out that the Centre would take a decision on the issue only if there was total consensus among the states.

He said the proposal was that the Centre could send its forces to states only as per its request. If Parliament was in session, the approval of Parliament should be obtained before doing so.

If Parliament was not in session, the matter could be reported to it during the immediate sitting.

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