SC to seeks states' response to appoint PLVs at police stations

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered to make all state governments and Union Territories parties to a plea filed by NGO Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) to appoint para-legal volunteers (PLVs) at all police stations across the country, as per the directions issued way back in May 2013.

A writ petition was filed by Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi’s organisation Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), citing the infamous rape of a 13-year-old girl by the SHO in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh.

A bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and Justice V Ramasubramanian asked the NALSA to appoint a para-legal volunteer, and a woman district judge as a legal counsellor, for the victim to ensure that she is appropriately rehabilitated and is under safe custody.

Expressing their concerns over the crimes committed against children across the country, the bench stressed the active role and duties of the State legal service authorities in such cases.

The bench also referred to the implementation of the Para Legal Volunteers scheme run on a pilot basis across 50 police stations in Delhi recently.

The court, citing Delhi as a leading example of providing access to legal services to child victims, said that a similar model should be replicated across the country. The model can prove to be an effective mitigating factor during the ordeal faced by the victims and their parents while registering FIRs, it said.

The plea by the NGO contended the Supreme Court had on May 10, 2013, mandated that there should be a special juvenile officer on duty in each police station.

As a further safeguard, the court had directed that the services of Para Legal Volunteers, who have been recruited by the Legal Services Authorities, should be utilised, so that there is, at least, one para-legal volunteer, in shifts, in the police station to keep a watch over the manner in which the complaints regarding missing children and other offences against them, are dealt with.

Senior Advocate HS Phoolka, who represented BBA, contended that state governments have failed to comply with the said order.

He argued that directions of the Supreme Court for appointment of the Para Legal Volunteers across all Police stations are a major step toward the protection of the rights of the victims and their families.

This will enable speedy justice, and timely registration of cases on offences against children and will ensure prompt legal aid and assistance during the pre-trial stage, he pointed out.

The case of the minor victim of Lalitpur came into the limelight in April.