Mobile legal aid clinic set up for prisoners in Thane Central Jail

Thane: A mobile legal aid clinic has been launched for prisoners at the Thane Central Jail in Maharashtra to allow them to communicate with their families and legal representatives more effectively via an e-interview system, officials said on Tuesday.

The facility, to operate through a vehicle and set up by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in collaboration with social organisation 'Dard Se Humdard Tak', was inaugurated on Monday.

The initiative addresses a critical need in the overcrowded prison system, where traditional interview methods often lead to significant delays for inmates seeking to connect with their families and legal counsels, the DLSA said in a release.

Despite the potential benefits of this new system, many prisoners and their families, particularly those who are illiterate or unfamiliar with technology, face challenges in accessing e-interview services, it said.

The mobile legal aid clinic aims to bridge this gap by providing guidance and support to both prisoners and their relatives, it said.

Chief Judicial Magistrate S K Fokmare emphasised the importance of the initiative in enhancing the rights of prisoners and ensuring that they can maintain vital connections with their families during incarceration.

Legal experts from the social organisation will be available at the clinic two days a week, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, offering free legal services and assistance to those in need.

Apart from him, DLSA secretary Ishwar Suryawanshi and jail superintendent Rani Bhosale were among those present at the facility's launch.