The financial aid given to a woman under the Maharashtra government's Manodhairya scheme for rape victims is being taken back after she retracted her testimony during trial, resulting in the acquittal of the accused, a Thane District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) official said on Friday.

The Manodhairya Yojana was introduced by the state government in 2013 to provide financial assistance and rehabilitation to victims of rape, sexual assault, and acid attacks.

The woman had accused her brother-in-law of raping her in 2017 while her husband was in hospital for the treatment of a mental illness.

The woman, 40 at the time, filed a case at Kalyan police station, and in 2022 received Rs 25,000 under the Manodhairya scheme, while the remaining Rs 75,000 was kept in a fixed deposit in her name, DLSA secretary Ishwar Suryavanshi said.

"During the trial in the district and sessions court, she failed to support the prosecution and contradicted her earlier statements, resulting in the accused being acquitted. However, she still approached DLSA to withdraw the FD of Rs 75,000 before maturity. This was brought to the notice of a committee headed by Chief District and Sessions Judge SB Agrawal, which ruled that the assistance granted to her must be recovered," he said.

"The policy mandates that victims must cooperate with the prosecution and remain consistent in their testimony to retain the financial aid. Any deviation allows the government to reclaim the amount along with prevailing interest rates. Consequently, the assistance of Rs 1 lakh is being recovered. The DLSA has issued her a notice for the same," Suryavanshi informed.

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