Post News Network
Jagatsinghpur, Feb 26: Camp courts by State Commission for Women for victims of domestic violence have
allegedly failed to ensure timely justice as several women have been running to the courts for years in vain.
The courts were started with an aim to provide justice to victims of domestic violence in their own places. This was evident during one such camp court held in the Sadbhavna conference hall of the district collectorate here Thursday.
These courts, except for hearing cases filed by the victims, have failed in delivering timely orders on them. Their pleas instead of getting resolved are getting complicated with each passing day with hope of possible reconciliation nowhere in sight.
Sources said in the camp court held Thursday, 29 cases were listed for hearing. Out of them hearing was done in only 26 cases while order was passed on only eight cases.
Commission member Snigdharani Panigrahi and Kusum Rath conducted the hearing attended by DSP Bamadev Singh of human rights protection cell (HRPC), ADM Saran Kumar Jena and district social welfare officer Mrudumandakini Mohanty.
This correspondent met four women and talked to them to elicit their
response on camp courts. They all have been running to these courts for years and were found skeptical on the outcome of their petitions.
Saraswati Swain of Tampalada
village under Balikuda block married in 2011 in Sansailo village of Naugaon. She was driven out of her in-laws house over dowry after eight months of marriage. She lodged a complaint with the commission in 2013 and has visited its office in Bhubaneswar six times while attending camp courts twice, but to no avail.
Bebina Swain of Paradip is married in Dhinkia of Kujang and has a similar tale to tell. She too was driven out of her in-laws house over `50,000 a month after her marriage. She has twice attended the camp court and has even lodged a complaint in Abhayachandpur police station, but her problem has remained unresolved.
Prabhasini Ray of Alipingal is married in Chheliagarh village under the block and has three children with two elderly in-laws. She is finding it difficult to manage the family after her husband deserted her following second marriage. She has met the commission members several times since 2013, but to no avail. Subhadra Sethy of Gatirout Patna in Cuttack had a love marriage with a boy of different caste. Her husband from Kujang has deserted her after marriage while her in-laws have also tried to douse her with kerosene to kill her. She attended the court several times, but to no avail.