CJI Justice Surya Kant to Inaugurate India’s First Victim Rights Centre in Patna on September 26

Patna: Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant will inaugurate India’s first Victim Rights Centre at the Bihar State Legal Services Authority in Patna on September 26.

The centre, launched as a pilot project by the Bihar State Legal Services Authority, aims to provide victims of crime with a single point of access to legal and support services and ensure coordination among police, hospitals, courts, government departments and other agencies.

A Transgender Helpline will also be launched during the event, while a fleet of Multi Utility Vehicles will be flagged off. The CJI will also release a publication detailing the centre's scheme, standard operating procedure and prescribed forms.

The centre will maintain a single record for every case and track the delivery of entitlements such as free legal aid, medical assistance, compensation, protection and other relief available under existing laws and schemes.

The initiative also recognises “situational victims”, including families affected when a sole earning member remains incarcerated as an undertrial for a substantial period, and people who are acquitted after prolonged detention but return to disrupted family and professional lives.

The pilot project will initially run for 12 months in Patna district and is proposed to be extended to other districts through the respective District Legal Services Authorities following an evaluation.

The programme will begin at 12:10 PM on September 26, with Justice Sudhir Singh, Justice V. Kameswar Rao and CJI Justice Surya Kant scheduled to address the gathering.

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