Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi

New Delhi, May 20: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed all states and union territories to appoint protection officers under the Domestic Violence Act at the district and taluka levels to ensure safety and support for women facing abuse.

A bench comprising justices B V Nagarathna and Satish Chandra Sharma instructed chief secretaries and Women and Child/Social Welfare Department heads to coordinate and designate officers from the Department of Women and Child Development as protection officers.

“These officers must also discharge their duties under Section 11 of the Act by spreading awareness through media, ensuring coordination of services, and effective implementation of the law,” the bench stated.

The court gave six weeks to complete the designation of officers in areas where they have not yet been appointed. It further directed states to ensure the availability of shelter homes, service providers, and support groups for distressed women.

Highlighting women's right to legal aid under the Legal Services Authorities Act, the bench also directed the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) to ask state-level bodies to promote awareness about free legal help for victims of domestic violence. “If any woman approaches for legal aid or advice, it shall be provided expeditiously,” the court noted.

The directions came in response to a plea by NGO We the Women of India, which sought to bridge infrastructural gaps in implementing the Domestic Violence Act and demanded legal aid and shelter homes for women survivor’s post complaint. The NGO, represented by advocate Shobha Gupta, emphasized that domestic violence remains the most prevalent crime against women despite the law being in force for over 15 years.