Chief Justice of India N V Ramana on Sunday said that the threat to human rights is the highest in police stations and even the privileged are "not spared third-degree treatment."
The CJI said custodial torture and other police atrocities still prevail in India and batted for a nationwide effort for the "sensitisation of police officers바카라.
 The CJI, who is also the Patron-in-Chief of NALSA, said that to keep police excesses in check, dissemination of information about the constitutional right to legal aid and availability of free legal aid services is necessary.
 바카라The installation of display boards and outdoor hoardings in every police station/prison is a step in this direction,바카라 he said, adding that 바카라NALSA must also actively carry out nationwide sensitisation of police officers.바카라
He was speaking at the launch of a legal service mobile application and the vision and mission statement of NALSA at Vigyan Bhawan here.
The mobile App will help poor and needy people in applying for legal aid and seek victim compensation.
NALSA was constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 to provide free legal services to the weaker sections of the society and to organise Lok Adalats for amicable settlement of disputes.
Terming the project 바카라Access to Justice바카라 as an 바카라unending mission바카라, the CJI said that for becoming a society governed by the rule of law, it was necessary to 바카라bridge the gap of accessibility to justice between the highly privileged and the most vulnerable바카라.
바카라If, as an institution, the judiciary wants to garner the faith of the citizens, we have to make everyone feel assured that we exist for them. For the longest time, the vulnerable population has lived outside the system of justice,바카라 he said.
The past should not determine the future and all should work to bring equality, Justice Ramana stressed.
바카라The threat to human rights and bodily integrity are the highest in police stations. Custodial torture and other police atrocities are problems that still prevail in our society. In spite of constitutional declarations and guarantees, the lack of effective legal representation at the police stations is a huge detriment to arrested/detained persons.
바카라The decisions taken in these early hours will later determine the ability of the accused to defend himself. Going by the recent reports even the privileged are not spared third-degree treatment,바카라 the CJI said.
Stressing the need for bridging the gap of accessibility to justice between the highly privileged and the most vulnerable, the CJI said for all times to come, we must remember that, the realities of socio-economic diversity which prevail in our nation, cannot ever be a reason for denial of rights".
바카라Let our past not determine our future. Let us dream of a future based on legal mobility, a future where equality is a reality. That is why the project 'Access to Justice' is an unending mission,바카라 he said.
Furthermore, he stated that dissemination of information about the constitutional right to legal aid and availability of free legal aid services 바카라is necessary to keep police excesses in check.바카라
Besides this, he said that the prevailing obstacles like internet connectivity and lengthy, painstaking and expensive justice processes add to the woes of realising the goals of 바카라access to justice바카라 in India.
바카라Majority of those who do not have access to justice are from rural and remote areas which suffer from lack of connectivity. I have already written to the government emphasising the need to bridge the digital divide on a priority basis,바카라 the CJI said, referring to the digital divide between the rural and the urban populace.
He suggested that the postal network can be utilised to spread awareness regarding the availability of free legal aid services and to increase the outreach of legal services to persons residing in far-flung areas of the country.
The CJIÂ asked lawyers, especially seniors, to help those needing legal assistance and urged the media to use its 바카라unparalleled capacity to spread the message of service바카라 of NALSA.
Concurring with Ramana, Justice U U Lalit said that besides spreading awareness about legal services through post offices and police stations, Bar Councils and law colleges can also be roped in.
바카라We are impressing upon Bar Councils and law colleges and they must adopt one or two talukas around them so that students can be given practical training to be part of a large contingent of para-volunteers,바카라 Justice Lalit added.
(PTI inputs)
