Naseem Khan: Legal aid can be provided to Undertrials

Mumbai, May 19: Maharashtra Minority Development Minister Naseem Khan on yesterday stressed upon the need to offer legal aid to the undertrials from the Muslim community.

“Legal aid should be provided to the undertrials belonging to the (Muslim) minority community, as it will enable them to return to the mainstream life,” Khan told reporters here.

Claiming that most of the accused from the minority community are first-time offenders and are arrested in minor cases, the minister said that since the lack of legal aid makes them languish in prisons.

Khan was talking to reporters after a meeting with Maharashtra ATS chief Rakesh Maria, IG (prisons) Surendra Kumar, which was also attended by other officials of the state Minority Department.

“After a survey conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), it has come to light that 70 to 80 per cent prisoners from the minority community are first-timers,” he said.

The TISS, which was appointed by the Minority Development Department to carry out the survey, collected the data from 20 jails in the state. The survey also said that out of the 20,000 prisoners in these jails, 7,000 prisoners belonged to the minority community.

Khan said that in order to rehabilitate the prisoners, they should be given vocational training and counselling.

Asked if the state government provides any free legal aid to the prisoners from minority community to defend the cases, Khan said, “Even if free legal aide is provided, due to the lack of trust with the lawyers, the accused reject them.

The accused doubt the capability of the lawyer, who are minimally paid by the state legal aide panel.” “The government pays Rs 900 and Rs 1200 respectively to those lawyers who represent the accused in district courts and sessions courts,” he said.

He said that a high-level meeting will soon be held in this regard with Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Home Minister R R Patil on this issue.

ATS chief Rakesh Maria suggested that prominent lawyers should take at least 2-10 cases of the prisoners, who are economically weak as part of social commitment, which is followed in foreign countries, the minister said.

PTI