REASI: Justice Tashi Rabstan, Judge, High Court of J&K and Ladakh and Executive Chairman, J&K Legal Services Authority accompanied by Sh. Amit Kumar Gupta, Member Secretary, J&K LSA today inaugurated Legal Aid Defense Counsel office at District Court Complex, Reasi.
On his arrival, Justice Tashi was received by Sonia Gupta, Principal District &Sessions Judge (Chairperson, DLSA) Reasi, Babila Rakwal, Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, Amit Gupta, SSP Reasi, Archana Charak, CJM Reasi, Sunil Kumar, Sub Judge Katra holding the charge of Secretary DLSA Reasi, Bar President, members of Bar and other officers of Police and Civil Administration.
A ceremonial guard of honour was given to the Chief Guest, where after, he inaugurated the office of Legal Aid Defense Counsel.
Speaking on the occasion, Justice Tashi informed the gathering that full time Deputy and Assistant LADC have been engaged to ensure that the persons entitled to free legal services in criminal cases do not face any difficulty in pursuing their cases, besides curtailing the delay and ensuring timely disposal of their cases.
He also highlighted the importance of LADCs office and urged the general public to take maximum benefit of free legal services being provided by the Legal Services Institutions through the aegis of J&K Legal Services Authority to the needy, poor and marginalized section of the society. While handing over the engagement orders to Deputy Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel namely Rashi Baru, Advocate and Assistant Legal Aid Defense Counsel Supriya, Advocate, Justice Tashi congratulated both the appointees and urged them to discharge their duties as LADCs with utmost dedication and honesty to serve the people of District Reasi.
The Executive Chairman also hoped that with the operationalization of the office of LADCS at Reasi, the criminal cases of legal aid seekers shall be defended effectively to ensure immediate relief to them. Justice Tashi had an interaction with the judicial officers and Bar members who raised the issue of paucity of space, upon which the Deputy Commissioner informed the Justice Tashi Rabstan that the process for construction of new court complex has already been started, regarding which a DPR has been prepared.
Later, Justice Tashi visited District Jail, Reasi where he was received by Superintendent Jail. Justice Tashi inspected all the barracks and showed concern about the over-crowding of the barracks, as against the capacity of 26 persons, 72 inmates were lodged in the said jail, out of whom 03 were detained under PSA and 69 were the undertrials that include a Nepali National.
Justice Tashi also inspected VC facility, STD facility, dinning and kitchen area as also the medical facility room in the jail. Superintendent jail informed Justice Tashi that no female inmate is lodged as there is no female barrack available in the jail. He further informed that the land for construction of new jail has already been identified at village Bhaga, where the constriction work is expected to start during the current financial year.
Justice Tashi noticed that no medical officer is posted in the jail, despite there being a sanctioned post and issued directions to Deputy Commissioner, Reasi for taking up the issue with the Health and Medical Department for posting of a doctor.
Justice Tashi expressed satisfaction about the working of Legal Services on coming to know from the jail inmates that everyone was being represented by a counsel in their cases.
Subsequently, Justice Tashi presided over an Awareness Programme in a remote village namely Bakalin district Reasi where a large gathering of local area was present. Addressing the said gathering, Justice Tashi said that the NALSA and Union Govt. has launched a number of welfare schemes for the benefit of downtrodden and marginalized sections of the society and the Legal Services Authority is equipped with a force of Para Legal Volunteers to take those schemes to the common masses.
He exhorted those present in the programme to take maximum benefit of the schemes and also introduced the PLVs of the area to those present in the gathering.
The people present in the programme thanked the Executive Chairman for visiting their village and educating them about the working of Legal Aid Institutions.
Justice Tashi lauded the efforts of all the stakeholders in keeping the flag of Legal Services Authority fly high.