Human Rights Day: NALSA Conducts Inspection Visit At Tihar Jail, Reviews Legal Aid And Inmate Welfare
On the occasion of Human Rights Day, under the stewardship of Justice Vikram Nath, Judge, Supreme Court of India & Executive Chairman, NALSA, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) conducted an official visit to Tihar Jail, Delhi, to assess the functioning of legal aid services and ongoing welfare initiatives for inmates.
The delegation, led by the Sh. Sanjiv Pandey, Member Secretary and Sh. Kunal Vepa, Director of NALSA, was accompanied by Sh. Kumar Rahul, Secretary of New Delhi District Legal Services Authority (NDDLSA) and other senior officials of Tihar Jail.
During the visit, the team inspected legal aid clinics, barracks, kitchen, and medical room and interacted with undertrial prisoners, convicts, paralegal volunteers, and jail visiting advocates to understand challenges in accessing justice. A session was also conducted on the rights of undertrial prisoners. The Member Secretary also met inmates individually, listened to their complaints, and provided responses or resolutions.
The Member Secretary emphasized that no prisoner should be denied legal help due to poverty, illiteracy, or lack of information, and highlighted the need for cooperation between prison authorities, legal services institutions, volunteers, and civil society to ensure fair and equal justice.
The visit concluded with discussions on improving legal awareness and legal aid of the inmates, reaffirming NALSA's commitment to address prisoners' grievances and ensure access to justice for all.