Bhadarwah (J&K), Jun 10 (PTI) The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in Bhaderwah on Wednesday inaugurated a legal aid clinic at the district jail here to provide necessary services to the prisoners within the premises, officials said.

The legal aid clinic was inaugurated by Bhadarwah principal district and sessions judge Ashok Kumar Shavan and would be manned by retainer lawyers as well as trained paralegal volunteers, the officials said.

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Shavan said the DLSA aims to assist undertrials, accused, as well as convicted prisoners in legal dealings and ensure that their rights are protected by providing free legal services to them through the aid clinic.

"Many persons accused of petty offences languish in jails for inordinate periods of time as they are unaware of the process of filing appeals. Some prisoners from other cities have no one to file bail and other applications for them. These are some cases in which the clinic will prove to be very useful," he said.

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The Constitution also provides many fundamental rights to the prisoners but many are unaware about their rights, Shavan added.

“The jailed persons are also often unable to file appeals in the court due to lack of knowledge about legal procedures,” the judge said adding that the clinic also intends to look into matters of maltreatment of prisoners and ensure that prisoners with medical problems are provided with proper facilities.

The officials said the setting up of the clinic within the premises of the jail itself has many advantages.

“Not only will it make it easier for the jailed persons to avail legal counsel, it also reduces complications and safety issues involved in ferrying prisoners back and forth between the prison and legal aid cells located outside the jail,” an official said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)