A Mumbai-based NGO—Dard se Humdard Tak—has launched the ‘Legal Aid on Wheels’ initiative to help people, especially senior citizens and those from marginalised sections of society, know about their legal rights and provide them assistance.
The vehicles with two lawyers and as many para-legal volunteers on board reach out to the needy people not just in Mumbai, but also neighbouring Pune and other districts of Maharashtra, to provide the legal assistance free of cost. The initiative, launched a month back, will help bridge the gap by making legal aid more accessible and ensuring that the marginalised sections receive timely support, said Advocate Prakash Salsingikar, founder of the NGO.
“Till now, we were providing free legal aid to the undertrials in need by visiting jails in Mumbai and nearby areas. But with this new initiative, the aim is to make people aware of their legal rights so that they do not have to go to jail,” Salsingikar said. “This is also a golden opportunity for law students to gain hands-on legal experience by working on real-life cases, interacting with senior advocates, and understanding the essence of pro bono legal services,” he added. The lawyer said people from Bandra to Borivli and even from Pune have been calling their helpline number for assistance.
Referring to one such case, he said a 66-year-old Jewish woman of Israeli nationality, living in Borivli, was subjected to physical torture and verbal abuse by her 71-year-old husband. Despite living next to a police station, the woman was not receiving any help and she later reached out to the NGO, he said. “We immediately got into action, and a team led by activist Pratik Sakhulkar went to the police station concerned and helped in providing her the necessary legal relief. She has a son and a daughter, but neither of them had come to her aid,” the lawyer said.
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