Kochi: The Kerala High Court has directed the state government to release more than Rs 9.73 crore in victim compensation pending across 225 cases, preferably within five weeks, according to reports.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V M further instructed authorities to disburse mediators' honorariums at revised rates for the time being, while also requiring a reconsideration of the amounts based on a proposal put forward by the Board of Governors in 2022.
This judicial direction followed submissions from the Kerala State Legal Services Authority indicating that the currently revised honorarium fell short of the recommendations made by the Board of Governors.
The court emphasized that the Member Secretary of the Kerala State Legal Services Authority must henceforth guarantee timely disbursement of victim compensation, adding that appropriate instructions should go out to the secretaries of the concerned District Legal Services Authorities to prevent future delays in processing.
District Legal Services Authority secretaries were specifically instructed to gather all necessary documents from victims during the initial adjudication stage to eliminate any subsequent lag in processing and payout.
Furthermore, the bench addressed infrastructural shortcomings at mediation facilities across the state, mandating that the Kerala State Legal Services Authority Member Secretary review the progress of compensation payments weekly alongside respective district authorities and submit a progress report by December 2, the next scheduled date of hearing.
Court observations noted that claims for victim compensation amounting to Rs 9.73 crore covering 225 cases up to July 2026 had been sitting before the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department since mid-September 2026, prompting the timeline order for the state administration.
Regarding mediator compensation, the bench ordered the Kerala State Legal Services Authority Member Secretary to provide a detailed statement to the Finance Department Secretary outlining the difference payable under the revised rates announced at the end of September.
The Finance Department has been tasked with releasing this differential amount promptly, while the Member Secretary must submit a formal affidavit confirming both the disbursement of mediator honorariums and the victim compensation payments.
District secretaries were instructed to supply all essential data to the Member Secretary to ensure compliance and timely filing of the required affidavit before the court.