Patna, 26 September (H.S.):

India’s first Victim Rights Centre is set to be inaugurated in Patna on Saturday, with Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant scheduled to formally launch the facility at the Bihar State Legal Services Authority.

The centre has been established as a 12-month pilot project to provide victims of crime with coordinated legal and support services through a single point of contact. The initiative aims to reduce the need for victims and their families to approach multiple government agencies separately for assistance.

Under the new system, a victim approaching the centre will have a case registered and assigned a single case record. The centre will assess the person’s legal, medical, financial, psychological, protection and rehabilitation needs and coordinate with the relevant authorities.

The system is intended to ensure that victims do not have to repeatedly explain the same incident to different institutions. The centre will coordinate with police, hospitals, courts, Child Welfare Committees, One Stop Centres, government departments and other agencies involved in victim assistance.

Legal assistance will be available at various stages of a criminal case, including the filing of an FIR, bail proceedings, trial, sentencing and appeals. The centre will also facilitate access to compensation procedures, emergency medical assistance and witness protection.

A key feature of the initiative is a defined timeline for providing assistance. A panel lawyer is expected to be assigned within 48 hours when legal representation is required. Counsellors and case workers will also be assigned according to the needs of individual cases.

The centre will monitor cases until the required assistance has been secured and verified, or until the victim seeks closure. It will coordinate services rather than directly providing every form of assistance. Compensation, for instance, will continue to be processed by the authorities legally responsible for it.

The initiative extends beyond legal representation. Victims who require long-term assistance may be connected with counselling, shelter, education, skill development, livelihood opportunities and government welfare schemes.

The project also covers what it describes as “victims of circumstances”. These include dependent family members of sole earning members who have spent prolonged periods in jail as undertrials, as well as people who are acquitted after lengthy detention.

Such individuals and families can face financial and social difficulties despite not necessarily being victims of a particular crime. The centre will maintain records of such cases and coordinate appropriate assistance.

The Victim Rights Centre will operate using the existing infrastructure and resources of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority. It does not require the creation of a separate statutory body or a new law.

The project has been developed within the existing legal-aid framework. Advocate Shama Sinha, who proposed the initiative, is serving as its project coordinator.

The September 26 programme will also include the launch of a Transgender Helpline. The service is expected to assist transgender persons in accessing legal support and government welfare services.

A fleet of Multi Utility Vehicles will also be flagged off during the programme to support outreach and legal-aid activities. A publication containing details of the Victim Rights Centre, its standard operating procedure and related forms will also be released.

The centre will initially function as a 12-month pilot project across Patna district. Its performance will be assessed after the pilot period before any decision is taken on extending the model to other districts through the respective District Legal Services Authorities.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar