National legal Service Authority of India has disclosed that it has provided aid in the release of over 10,000 under trial prisoners and more than 5 thousand convicts from detention, as per the directions of the Supreme court of decongesting prisoners for stifling the spread of covid-19.
The following steps have been taken with SLSA and DLSA:
- Assistance is being provided to prisoners through its panel lawyers;
- Legal Services Authorities are assisting the High powered Committee in identifying under trials who could be released on bail during the pandemic;
- Bail applications are also being filed on their behalf by the legal aid counsels;
- Meetings are being held with the under trial review Committees to identify UTPs who are entitled to the benefit under section 436A of CrPC.
Issues like shortage of food, migrant laborers stranded at places away from their home state, denial of wages, etc., are being addressed by Panel lawyers and Para Legal Volunteers in close co-ordination with the District administration. In the case of domestic violence, authorities are requested to work in cooperation with One Stop Centres of the Ministry of Women and Child to provide legal assistance to such women.
