The Bombay High Court today directed the Maharashtra government to recruit within six months full-time protection officers for each teshil, as required under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act.

A division bench headed by Justice Abhay Oka said the protection officers play a very important role in assisting the aggrieved women. Advocate General Sunil Manohar submitted that the Woman and Child Development Department has created 142 more posts of protection officers, in addition to the existing 216.