HC seeks status report on domestic violence

Prayagraj: The Allahabad high court on Wednesday directed the Uttar Pradesh government counsel to obtain status report regarding the steps taken by the state in attending the grievance of all victims of domestic violence during Covid-19 pandemic.
Hearing a PIL filed by Ala Hazrat Helping Society, a division bench comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Yashwant Varma directed to list this case in the last week of July for the next hearing.
The petition in public interest had requested the court to direct the state government to appoint a nodal officer for monitoring the grievances of the victims of domestic violence and for taking necessary measures in that regard. After hearing both sides, the court directed additional advocate general (AAG) Manish Goyal, who was representing the state government, to obtain status report to the steps taken by the UP government with regard to attending the grievances of all victims of the domestic violence during Covid-19 pandemic. The petitioner in the PIL had annexed all-India figures, which provide that the incidents of domestic violence had been on rise in many parts of the country during the lockdown, which was clamped to check the spread of coronavirus.
Hence, in this backdrop of the situation, the petitioner had made a request to the court to appoint a nodal officer for monitoring the grievances of the victims of the domestic violence and for taking necessary measures in that regard.
Goyal argued that the grievance redressal cell is already functioning in the state to sort out grievances of the victims of domestic violence, and also to provide them necessary remedies. The AAG said that this fact has even been mentioned by the petitioner in the PIL. The state, through principal secretary, women and child development and another have been arrayed as respondent in the matter.