Mumbai, Mar 7 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today directed all the lower courts in Maharashtra to entertain and decide interim and ex-party applications under section 23 of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005.

Although the act protecting women from domestic violence came into force throughout the country on October 26 last year, the state has been lagging behind in implementation of the act as mandatory appointments of Protection officers were not done in the state.

The directions came in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Chetna Mahila Vikas Kendra, a Pune-based non-governmental organisation working for the welfare of women.

A division bench, comprising Justice F I Rebello and Justice R M Sawant, directed the petitioner's Advocate Vishal Kanade to implead the Central Government as party respondent, as some aspects of the Act were required to be clarified.

The NGO has moved the court seeking appointment of Protection Officers as it came across some cases where JMFCs in Pune had refused to entertain complaints of women under the Domestic Violence Act as appointment of Protection Officers were not done and mandatory report of Domestic Incident could not be called for. Now, the matter will come up for hearing on March 12.

UNI