Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai on Tuesday directed the National Legal Services Authority and the Gujarat State Legal Services Authority to immediately start providing free legal and psychological aid to the families of the victims of the recent Air India plane crash and operate a 24x7 help desk in state capital Gandhinagar.
Nalsa and GSLSA are statutory bodies created by an Act of Parliament that provide free legal aid to underprivileged sections of society.
Expressing shock and anguish at the death of several passengers and collateral damage to lives on the ground, the Nalsa, in an official release, expressed its deepest condolences and solidarity with those affected. "In this hour of grief, the legal services institutions of the country reaffirm their commitment to serving the people in times of crisis," Nalsa said.
According to the release under the guidance of the Chief Justice and patron-in-chief of Nalsa, B.R. Gavai, and Justice Surya Kant, judge and executive chairman of Nalsa, the GSLSA has launched an emergency response mechanism titled: "Plane crash legal support helpdesk". Psychological counselling is being provided through the victimology centre, Sangathi.