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The High Court has asked the Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) to come up with a road map to implement schemes for engaging paralegal volunteers (PLVs) at police stations to help people in cases involving missing children and offences against children.
A Bench of Justices Siddharth Mridul and Anup Jairam Bhambhani also said that the road map must take into consideration the direction of the Supreme Court on the issue of appointment of paralegal volunteers.
In September last year, the top court had directed the legal service authorities of all States and Union Territories to frame schemes for the appointment of PLVs in every police station to assist people, including the parents of children who are victims of sexual offences and to help trace missing children. The High Court said this while hearing a case to streamline the functioning of the juvenile justice delivery system under the Juvenile Justice Act.
The Delhi government counsel said it was actively looking at the issue and would submit a response before the next date of hearing, on January 31.
The court emphasised that the scheme was within the mandate of the Juvenile Justice Act and must be implemented on a war footing.
