The Kerala High Court has directed the state government to release Rs 9.73 crore in victim compensation covering 225 cases within five weeks, after finding that the claims had remained pending before the additional chief secretary of the home department since September 16.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice V M Syam Kumar issued the direction in a suo motu case concerning the disbursement of victim compensation and infrastructure in mediation centres across Kerala. The order places a time-bound obligation on the state government while also requiring the legal services authorities to monitor individual claims more closely.
The compensation relates to financial assistance provided by the state to victims of crime. According to the report, the 225 cases included claims arising up to July 2026. The court directed the member secretary of the Kerala State Legal Services Authority (KeLSA) to ensure that the amount is disbursed within the five-week period.
The bench also ordered that all pending victim compensation disbursements being processed by KeLSA and the district legal services authorities (DLSAs) must be completed within three weeks. Secretaries of the DLSAs have been instructed to collect all documents required from victims at the time of adjudication itself, a step intended to prevent claims from being held up later in the process.
KeLSA has been asked to review the disbursement position with the DLSAs every week and submit a report. The direction creates a regular monitoring mechanism across districts rather than leaving the progress of claims to individual follow-up by applicants.
The case also covers the functioning of mediation centres and payments due to mediators. The court noted that a government order dated September 30 had revised mediator honorarium rates with effect from April 1. The state government was directed to release the honorarium at the revised rates and to reconsider higher rates recommended by the board of governors on January 7, 2022.
KeLSA must submit a statement to the finance department detailing the differential amount payable under the revised honorarium rates. The finance department was directed to release the amount at the earliest, according to the report.
The directions link two administrative issues handled through the state’s legal-services network: timely financial assistance for crime victims and payment systems supporting mediation services. Both depend on coordination between the state government, KeLSA, DLSAs and the finance department.
The court has posted the matter for December 2. The next hearing is expected to provide an update on the release of the Rs 9.73 crore, the completion of other pending disbursements and the action taken on revised mediator payments.
