A group of lawyers on Wednesday wrote to the Delhi Commissioner of Police seeking legal access to those under arrest or in custodial detention following violence that erupted in north-east Delhi last week. The request comes after reports surfaced that several lawyers were denied information of detainees.
“Take all measures to ensure that the right of access to legal counsel for persons under arrest or custodial detention is honoured and that strict remedial action is taken against any further illegal deprivations of this invaluable Constitutional and statutory rights,” read the letter.
The letter from the lawyers also said: “We write this letter as an expression of our grave concern and deep anguish at the present state of affairs in which the fundamental right of access to legal counsel, the cornerstone of our Constitutional promise to ensure justice for all, is being wilfully eviscerated by the State.”
Meanwhile, lawyers’ collective ‘Lawyers for Detainees’ have set up legal aid camps in areas of north-east Delhi, including Mustafabad and Indira Vihar.
Mishika Singh, a lawyer who is part of the collective, said on Twitter: “In the last four days, we have initiated legal work for over 500 people in various capacities like processing of compensation forms, recording damage to property and injury to self, filing of complaints, pursuing missing persons reports and so on.”
“Apart from this, lawyers in the field are also helping with legal work in hospitals — getting their MLCs, making sure post-mortems are conducted as per law, bodies are released on time. We are stretched beyond imagination but there is satisfaction in the work that is being done,” Ms. Singh added.