Man convicted for rape, his woman aide for abetment

New Delhi: A man has been held guilty of raping a girl, who was brought here along with two others on the pretext of providing jobs but forced into the flesh trade, by a Delhi court which also held his woman aide guilty of abetting the offence.

The court also asked the government to take necessary steps to frame compensation and rehabilitation programme for victims rescued from the flesh trade. It said even after the directions issued by the Delhi High Court in Jessica Lal murder case to formulate a witness protection policy, the government has not taken any concrete steps in this regard till date. The court`s order while deciding the rape case said out of the three, two girls turned hostile, leading to acquittal of two other accused, including a woman, in the case. "...A slew of directions were issued by the Delhi High Court for the government but still, no concrete step appears to have been taken by the government in this regard. "I feel that, till any concrete witness protection policy is put in place by the government, the unfortunate girls recovered from brothels or any other place where they are forced into flesh trade, shall be kept in Nari Niketan or at any other suitable place under proper protection and far from the approach of their tormentors, till their deposition is recorded in the court," Additional Sessions Judge Virender Bhat said. "I further consider that the duty of the state does not end after recovery of unfortunate girls from brothels or places like those. These poor and traumatised girls need support of the state for their rehabilitation. Government has failed on this count also as no such relief or rehabilitation programme has been formulated by it....” "I hope and expect that after going through this judgement, the government would take necessary steps to frame an elaborate compensation and rehabilitation programme for the unfortunate girls recovered from the sex trade," Bhat said. The court held Balram and Monika guilty of the charges of rape and abetment of the offence respectively. It directed chief secretary of the Delhi government to pay a compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh to the victim "who has shown exemplary courage in conveying her plight".