ALOK TRIPATHI Vs. STATE NCT OF DELHI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner before this Court, who is a panel lawyer on the panel of Delhi High Court Legal Service Committee (DHCLSC), has filed this writ petition as a Public Interest Litigation and has prayed for the following reliefs:

(2.) The petitioner is aggrieved by the Circular dtd. 7/1/2019 issued by the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA). The contention of the petitioner is that Under-Trial Prisoners (UTPs) who engage private lawyers are not being furnished with copies of FIRs, chargesheets and other related documents required by private lawyers for the purpose of defending the UTPs.

(3.) Learned counsel for the respondent has categorically stated before this Court that as far as the UTPs who are being represented by panel counsels of the Legal Services Authority are concerned, they are being provided with all documents free of cost. She has stated that it is only in the case of UTPs who have engaged private lawyers that the lawyers have to personally collect the documents to defend their clients. She has further stated that the petitioner, who is defending some of the UTPs, has already been provided with all the necessary documents.