New Delhi: The Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DLSA) Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that seven advocates from the northeast, including five women advocates, have been empanelled by it to provide free legal assistance to people from the region staying in the capital.
Submitting its report before a division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw, the DLSA said various awareness and sensitisation programmes have been organised qua grievances of the northeast people during May-July in various parts of the city.
The bench was hearing a suo motu cognizance taken by it on media reports about the death of Arunachal Pradesh student Nido Tania and issued certain directions on the safety and security of northeast people.
“Seven northeast state advocates, including five lady advocates, have been empanelled with the DLSA for the years 2014 onwards, so that people from the northeast feel more comfortable and their experience is used not only for counselling but also as resource person,” the DLSA report said.
A special drive – Para Legal Volunteers Training – was carried out for northeast people during the summer, in which around 250 students from all over India from 37 universities participated.
Eighteen students from the northeast took part in the programme, the report added.
Meanwhile, a contempt petition was filed seeking initiation of criminal contempt proceedings against two Delhi lawyers who allegedly abused and assaulted people from the northeast inside the Tis Hazari court premises in May.
The court would hear the plea July 23.
Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the alleged victims, told the court that the northeast people had gone to the Tis Hazari court May 23 for recording a statement in a molestation case, also concerning a woman from the northeast, and were abused and assaulted by some lawyers inside the courtroom.
The woman from the northeast was allegedly molested on the night of May 22 outside the Vishwa Vidyalaya Metro station by an advocate. On May 23, she went to the Tis Hazari court with her friends and a lawyer for recording her statement.
The contempt plea said the lawyers, who had gathered inside the courtroom in support of their accused colleague, hurled abuses at the woman and her supporters and later assaulted some of them.