West Bengal

The SLIC West Bengal Unit was established in Kolkata in 2000, primarily to provide pro bono legal aid to prisoners detained in various correctional homes across the state. Over the years, the unit has expanded its work and now engages in providing pro-bono/low-cost legal aid and advice to thewithe poor and marginalized persons, persons with disabilities and socially discriminated sections. A core component of our programmes is engaging with people and working in collaboration with different stakeholders, including grassroots organizations, academics, policy-makers, the judiciary, students and activists. At present, our activities span across 15 districts of West Bengal. The unit holds the distinctions for filing the first domestic violence case in West Bengal, followed by many landmark judgments on domestic violence. We provide legal training on a wide range of rights-based issues to activists, district lawyers, and other key stakeholders at the grassroots level.
SLIC is the implementing partner of the (UNHCR) India and provides legal aid to fleeing the ethnic cleansing catastrophe in Myanmar. We facilitate the application process for Rohingya detainees in various correctional homes across West Bengal with the UNHCR, and we represent them in legal proceedings all over West Bengal. The unit also provides legal aid to Rohingya children who are being housed at juvenile homes across West Bengal and makes efforts to reunite them with guardians and relatives who are living  in different parts of India.

District Lawyers Program

The West Bengal unit runs a District Lawyers Program partnering with lawyers in 15 districts across West Bengal. The aim is to further litigation at the district level, reach out to clients located in and around small districts across the state, and advance the state of human rights in west Bengal.
To know about our District Lawyers Click here.

Main Concerns

1. Women’s Justice: Focus areas include matters pertaining to sexual harassment of women at the workplace, particularly in educational institutions, domestic violence and obtaining adequate care and compensation for acid attack survivors.

2. Criminal Justice: Providing legal aid to prisoners, particularly female prisoners, and juveniles. We also take up issues pertaining to detentions.

3. Disability Rights: We provide legal aid to disabled persons, and families of persons with disabilities and advise on matters relating to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, and the draft West Bengal State Rules under the said Act.

4. Environmental Justice: Focus areas include matters pertaining to a displacement of communities, destruction of forest areas and loss of livelihood due to environmental violations.

6. Transgender Rights: Providing legal aid to those transgendered persons facing discriminatory treatment from State authorities.

SLIC Impact


The cases mentioned are indicative of the kind of cases the unit undertook and several other cases that were filed on the same issue have not been mentioned individually.

2013-2014

The support from our partners enabled the unit to establish a network of lawyers in 14 discricts across West Bengal. The state unit filed over 134 cases including 6 PILs taking on issues of reproductive rights violations on women in rural areas (Banglar Manava Adhikar Suraksha Manch- Masoom vs Union of India and others was filed when a fact finding conducted by the unit revealed that mass sterlizations had taken place in unhygienic conditions in Malda district and Ratnabali Ray vs State of West Bengal and others was filed to fix state accountability and improve health services in mental health institutions), shortfalls in upholding children’s rights to education and food (Ashraf Ali and Others vs State of West Bengal and Others WP No 4796 of 2013 was filed for provision of mid day meals to children and for investigation into misappropriation of funds along with Darjeeling Terai Dooars Gorkhali Adivasi welfare society vs State of West Bengal and others on non-appointment of primary teachers in Darjeeling since 1997) along with enabling a better juvenile justice system delinquents who are minors (Jagatdhatri village welfare society vs State of West Bengal and others to demand establishment of State Commission for protection of child rights and appointment of one public prosecutor in every juvenile court). The unit represented tribal villagers from North 24 Parganas district who were being deprived of benefits from National Rural Employments Scheme by the village Panchayat heads (Titagarh Association for Human Rights Awareness vs State of West Bengal) an conducted fact-finding on the impact of stone quarrying and mining in Birbhum which lead to the filing of a landmark Writ on the issue the following year. Sexual and Acid violence against women plagued the state and the unit conducted several fact findings across the state laying grounds for litigation on the issue (Fact-finding on Acid Attack on Shabana Khatoun in Diamond harbour, on Acid Attack on Shampa and Swastika Burman in Poorvi Medinipur, on rape of disabled girls in Pandua in Hooghly district, on gang rape on a girl with multiple disabilities in Dankuni in Hooghly district, on gang rape of tribal woman in Labhpur in Birbhum district: All the above mentioned fact findings were used to files cases representing the survivors), A Judicial Colloquium on Criminal Justice System and Prison Reform was organised by the state unit in collaboration with the Regional Institute for Correctional Administration (RICA) in Kolkata to provide a platform to officials of correctional homes to voice their concerns and problems in securing justice for inmates and seek advice from a panel of Judges and Senior judicial officials, police officials and lawyers.

2014-2015

The unit filed over 174 cases filed on behalf of persons from marginalized communities (including disabled persons, children, and women) across 13 districts in West Bengal. Landmark PILs included Agannath Soren Vs. State of West Bengal & Ors (on the issue of misappropriation of funds in the course of implementation of schemes under the “Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act”), Sukumar Ari & Ors. Vs State of West Bengal & Ors. (where the High Court stopped eviction of 50 families living in slums), Rampurhat Nagarik Sangha Vs. The State Of West Bengal & Ors. (for immediate removal of police personnel and others from the Makhra Primary School and all other schools that have been similarly occupied by the police personnel; to restart school and the mid day meals) among others. Along with PILs, several individual cases representing sexual assault survivors (Jyotsna Bibi Vs State Of West Bengal), traffciked persons (State Versus Mampi Biswas) were filed. Rampurhat Nagarik Sangha Vs. The State Of West Bengal & Ors. (to secure the rights of the oppressed and underprivileged people of Birbhum where brutal massacres transpired leading to the death of a child and attempt to rape on a tribal girl in the village of Makhra, Birbhum) was a landmark writ filed by the unit lawyers. The unit also organized 5 paralegal training attened by over 1000 students, activists and young lawyers. Longstanding partnerships were developed with 56 NGOs and civil society organisations including the West Bengal Women’s Commission, West Bengal Legal Aid Services Authority, and West Bengal Commission for the Protection of Child Rights.

2015-2016

With relentless support from our partners, the West Bengal unit expanded its network of district lawyers to cover 18 districts across the state. The unit intensified its litigation work including cases of political prisoners (Rina Chatterjee versus State of West Bengal – Writ petition filed seeking transfer of inmate convicted under the UAPA and also a political prisoner, from the Jalpaiguri Jail to any other correctional home within Kolkata as his mother being a senior citizen and an ailing lady is unable to visit her son), Mass starvation deaths in tea gardens (Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity and Anr. Vs Union of India and Ors in the matter of starvation deaths in North Bengal tea gardens and also for implementation of Plantation Labour Act, at all 276 tea gardens in North Bengal), and initiatied the ‘Campaign Against Acid Attacks’ ensuring attack survivors received due compensation of Rs. 3,00,000, medical bill reimbursements, and disability certificate (Kakoli Das vs State of West Bengal and Sanchayita Yadav Vs State of west Bengal) while continuing our fight for persecuted women, labourers, disabled persons and children. Two major fact finiding projects were undertaken to bring attention to mass human rights violations in tea gardens in North Bengal and the Birbhum mining area. Several district level consultations and paralegal trainings were organized to further human rights education in the state (The Oak trafficking meeting organized in collaboration with Jobala Action Research being one among many crucial others.)

2016-2017

While the phenomenon of lynching of persons from minority communities is not new to India (historically carried out under the guise of witch hunting, sometimes ordered by local khap panchayats, often as punishment to women, queer, and trans persons who break the status quo), 2016 saw brutal incidents of politically backed ‘cow lynchings’ (murdering of Muslims and Dalits on pretext of ‘cow slaughter’ by Hindu mobs, the pretext later changed to ‘child kidnappers’) dominating the political and social conscience of the nation. SLIC Kolkata unit, despite threat from various politically locally backed factions who endorse these mass killings, responded to the dire situation by conducting fact findings, gathering evidences, and assisting the Public Prosecutors in criminal cases against the perpetrators in Burdwan, South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, and North Dinajpur districts where the incidents took place. The unit, as implementing partners to UNHCR, represented the families fighting to quash their sentences and prevent the deportation back to Myanmar (State v. Md. Shahajahan & Ors., Rly. G.R. 26/2015, Chief Judicial Magistrate, Paschim Medinipur where Md. Hussain, Noor Begum, Md. Shahajahan, Sahara Khatoon belong to the Rohingya community were arrested at Kharagpur Railway station and awarded a sentence of two years rigorous imprisonment.) Meanwhile, the unit continued its work of getting acid attack survivors due compensation and after care (Angura Bibi Vs. State of West Bengal and Ors. And Jhuma Santra Vs State of West Bengal and others, W.P. 26192/2015; Sanchayita Jadav Vs State of West Bengal and others, W.P. 15181/2016; Janmenjoy Khan Vs State of West Bengal and others, W.P. 15179/2016; Kakoli Das Vs State of West Bengal and others, W.P. 15184/2016) and argued against the criteria mentioned in the West Bengal Compensation Scheme for relief of acid attack survivors which make access to compensation and after care for survivors difficult. The transgender community, empowered by the NALSA judgment, intensified their struggle for equality and the unit played its part to support their struggle by aiding several trans persons who faced difficulties while changing/choosing their gender on official documents and while accessing work opportunities. (Atri Kar v. State of West Bengal and Ors. wherein Atri Kar, a young transwoman from West Bengal faced a tough situation when she tried to apply for the West Bengal Civil Services (WBCS) but could not file her application form as the form did not have a third gender column. The unit filed an application on behalf of Atri in the State Administrative Tribunal seeking not only a change in the application form to include third gender as a column, but also demanded for the WBCS to allow Atri to appear for the examination that year itself. The tribunal immediately took cognizance and passed an order to amend the application form and allow Atri to appear for the examination. The case had a ripple effect, and was very well covered by the media and the other state units in Bihar and Odisha appeared on behalf of the trans community on mainstreaming and ensuring that the third column for third gender be added and recognized in the application forms of banks, passports and voters identity cards etc.)

What our clients and partners say about our work

“I was sexually assaulted by a lawyer (he was representing my husband in a case) and his family members in Kolkata. I came to SLIC as no other lawyer was willing to take up my case as it was against another lawyer. At SLIC, I was attended by Aparajitadi, Advocate Ankan Biswas, and Adv. Indrajeet who took up my case and gave me the support I needed.”
– Sexual assault survivor (Name withheld for privacy)

“The people at SLIC Kolkata unit not only provide pro-bono legal aid for our cases (for women from marginalized communities and poor backgrounds), they also counsel and encourage the women to rebuild their lives. We have always got the help we needed at any hour and the staff has become like family to us at Saujatya Family Counselling Centre.”
– Mousumi Sarkar, Counsellor at Saujatya Family Counselling Centre.

“The staff at SLIC Kolkata unit is well versed with trans politics and the staff here understands the various identities under the transgender umbrella and their issues. The community is so connected to people here that they call Aparajitadi ‘maa’! That really helps us when we bring cases to them. SLIC office has become a hub not just for addressing legal problems faced by the community but also a space where transgender politics and rights are discussed and we work on furthering them together. Sometimes I call them at 11 in the night and they have never refused help. I would say this space is a pioneer for TG politics and we don’t just get legal support here but also the ‘human’ support required.”
– Ranjita Sinha, Trangender activist, Founder, Gokhale Road Bandhan, All Trans and Hijras in Bengal (ATHB).

“SLIC helped me in the aftermath of the acid attack on me. Not only did they take up my case and got me an enhanced compensation that is of Rs. 3,00,000 they also offered me a job here and helped me regain confidence and faith in life. I try to extend the same support and care to the acid attack survivors who now come to us.”
– Sanchayita Yadav, Acid attack survivor, Social activist and office administrator at HR
State Consultation on Tiger Widows, Forest Rights Act, Reproductive Health Rights, and Human Trafficking

Sundarban is the largest tidal mangrove forest located in the south-east of India adjoining the Bay of Bengal with ...read more

FACT FINDING REPORT ON RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN KALIYAGANJ AND RAIGANJ, DISTRICT – NORTH DINAJPUR, WEST BENGAL, INDIA

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (“CRPD”) does not provide a definition of disability, ...read more

STATE CONSULTATION ON DISABILITY RIGHTS, PRISONERS RIGHTS, FOREST RIGHTS AND WOMEN’S JUSTICE.

  DISABILITY RIGHTS Worldwide one billion individuals have a disability. Many people with disabilities ...read more

The battle for existence in Sundarban

Tiger, Crocodile and human conflict is a regular crisis in the Sundarban Forest established legend for the years. ...read more

REPORT ON FACT FINDING OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE AT LATAGURI, JALPAIGURI WEST BENGAL

The phenomenon of violence against women within the family in India is complex and deeply embedded. Women are subject ...read more

JHARGRAM DISTRICT MEETING

The Constitution of India is firmly grounded in the principles of liberty, fraternity, equality and justice. While the ...read more

KOLKATA GARIMA GREH MEETING

The word “transgender” – or trans – is an umbrella term for people whose gender identity is different from ...read more

SOUTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT MEETING

Human trafficking in India, although illegal under Indian law, remains a significant problem. Women and girls are traf ...read more

SOUTH 24 PARGANAS DISTRICT MEETING

South Twenty Four Parganas is the largest district of West Bengal State and the second most populous district, loc ...read more

HOOGHLY DISTRICT MEETING

Disabled people face discrimination on a daily basis. In this competitive and overpopulated world, finding proper empl ...read more

EAST MEDINIPORE DISTRICT MEETING

Attaining equality between women and men and eliminating all forms of discrimination against women are fundamental hum ...read more

BANKURA DISTRICT MEETING

In recent times, there has been an exponential increase in incidence of police atrocities all over the country. Police ...read more

EAST BARDDHAMAN DISTRICT MEETING

Women constitute almost 50% of the world’s population but India has shown disproportionate sex ratio whereby female ...read more

NORTH DINAJPUR DISTRICT MEETING

Article 15(1) enjoins on the Government not to discriminate against any citizen of India (including disabled) on the ...read more

NADIA DISTRICT MEETING

A core component of our program is engaging with people and working in collaboration with different stakeholders, incl ...read more

MALBAZAR DISTRICT MEETING

Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of Human Rights, every year, thousands of women and ch ...read more

JALPAIGURI STUDENTS HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING

Right to Food is a Fundamental right, the Commission has taken the view that the Right to Food is inherent to a life w ...read more

BANKURA STUDENTS HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING

The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 recognizes the rights of the forest dwelling tribal communities and other tradit ...read more

HOOGHLY STUDENTS HUMAN RIGHTS MEETING

Sexual minorities are groups of people whose sexual orientation, gender identity, or sexual characteristics are differ ...read more

Uluberia(Howrah) District Meeting

Legally a female is known as a woman after she has passed through her childhood and adolescence, i.e. bas ...read more

Nadia District Meeting

Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 is a legislation, initiated by Ministry of ...read more

Kolkata Meeting

Census 2011 pegs the number of persons with disabilities in India at 26.9 million, which is 2.12% of the ...read more

Joynagar District Meeeting

The meeting was fixed for deprived people/villagers who didn’t get the compensation declared by the State Governmen ...read more

Falta District Meeting

SLIC in collaboration with Rotaract Club of Tollygunge Extension had organized a free Legal Aid Camp at Falta, South 24 ...read more

Dakshin Dinapur District Meeting

Trafficking in women and children is one of the most despicable forms of violations of human rights. Bei ...read more

Amta(Howrah) District Meeting

The Constitution of India provides for a federal system wherein powers are divided between the central, state, and l ...read more

BANKURA DISTRICT MEETING

The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 recognizes the rights of the forest dwelling tribal communities and oth ...read more

SWARUPNAGAR DISTRICT MEETING

Women constitute almost 50% of the world’s population but India has shown disproportionate sex ratio whereby femal ...read more

BARUIPUR DISTRICT MEETING

Sundarban, the largest deltaic forest of the world, includes over hundreds of islands (105), with a gesture of numerous ...read more

PASCHIM MEDNIPUR DISTRCIT MEETING

Right from the time of her birth or even before a girl could become victim of a crime or target of a crime. The 2012Nat ...read more

North Dinajpur District Meeting

Census 2011 pegs the number of persons with disabilities in India at 26.9 million, which is 2.12% of th ...read more

Jhargram District Meeting

The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, is a key piece of ...read more

Jalpaiguri District Meeting

As per the latest HIV estimates report (2019) of the Government, India is estimated to have around 23.49 ...read more

Bongaon District Meeting

Attaining equality between women and men and eliminating all forms of discrimination against women are fundame ...read more

Bankura District Meeting

The Forest Rights Act (FRA), 2006 recognizes the rights of the forest dwelling tribal communities and oth ...read more

Regarding 33 Terminally ill patients released due to the overcrowding in the prison during Covid-19

WPA 7252 of 2018 With WPA 4510 of 1997 With WPA 5440 of 2020 IA No. CAN/1/2020 (Old No. CAN 3147 of 2020) With WPA 8573 of 2018
Pending ( Only 33 terminally ill patients have been released)

National Transgender Day

     National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court ...read more

International Transgender Visibility Day

        Transgender Day of Visibility  is an annual event occurring on March 31 dedic ...read more

International Women's Day

       International Women's Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultura ...read more

Bhasha Divas (Language Day)

                   Shakhawat Hossain Language Movement ...read more

Sindur Khela 2020 with ATHB,Kolkata

                        Durga Puja is the biggest festival ...read more

State Level Meeting on Violation of Human Rights in West Bengal During Covid 19

Prior to the announcement of the National Lockdown on 25 March 2020, a number of courts had shut down in response to t ...read more

District Meeting on Disability Rights

Census 2011 pegs the number of persons with disabilities in India at 26.9 million, which is 2.12% of the popu ...read more

District Meeting on Women and Adolescent Empowerment

Women constitute almost 50% of the world’s population but India has shown disproportionate sex ratio whereby fema ...read more

District Meeting on Women and Adolescent Empowerment

Women constitute almost 50% of the world’s population but India has shown disproportionate sex ratio whereby fema ...read more

WEBINAR ON USE OF LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF REFUGEES AND MIGRANT LABOUR

Human rights violations are done in numerous ways, and two sets of human beings being abjectly violated are the refugees ...read more

WEBINAR ON USE OF LAW FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN

"Human rights are women's rights and women's rights are human rights, once and for all."- Hillary Rodham ClintonThe half ...read more

Vaccine shortage, Priority vaccines, Phase III, Action Plan


Jisha Sarkar vs. The State of West Bengal & Ors W.P.A. (P) No. 154 of 2021

Shortage of Oxygen and essential drugs

Joveria Sabbah vs. The State of West Bengal & Ors. W.P.A. (P) No. 134 of 2021
Pending

Migrant Workers’ Registration, Food etc.

Garden Reach Contract Security & Labours Union and Anr vs. The State of West Bengal & Ors W.P.A. (P) No. 158 of 2021
Pending

Paediatric Heath Facilities

Soumitra Karmakar Chakraborty vs. The State of West Bengal & Ors W.P.A. (P) No. 164 of 2021
Pending

REPORT ON SEX WORKERS- SONAGACHI,KOLKATA

Sonagachi is a neighbourhood in Kolkata, India, located in North Kolkata near the intersection of Ja ...read more

MEDIA COVERAGE REPORT - WEST BENGAL

Media Coverage Report  of West Bengal ...read more

COVID-19 VACCINATION FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS-WEST BENGAL

Covid Crisis Support Network & Ors vs. The Union of India & Ors W.P.A. (P) No. 159 of 2021
Pending

WEBINAR ON USE OF LAW FOR SAFEGUARDING VIOLATIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN INDIA

Human Rights are rights of all and for all human beings alike and have been globally recognized. The human rights are ri ...read more

WEBINAR ON CYBER CRIME: CYBER STALKING AND HARASSMENT

WEBINAR ON CYBER CRIME: CYBER STALKING AND HARASSMENTDate of Webinar : 21st May, 2021Time: 1000-1300 hoursIn the world ...read more

Helpless widow mother being tortured by her Responsible Four sons and Daughter-in-laws

C-366/2020 Gita rani Karmakar Versus Raj Kumar Karmakar & Ors.
Summon Issued

Webinar on District Meeting on Disability Rights

Census 2011 pegs the number of persons with disabilities in India at 26.9 million, which is 2.12% of the populatio ...read more

Webinar on Discussion on the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019, West Bengal

With the onset of demanding and claiming of basic human rights one of the major taboos that India faces is the discrimin ...read more

Webinar on WB District Lawyers Training: Labour Rights - during COVID Lockdown

Socio-Legal Information Centre conducted a zoom Webinar on WB District Lawyers Training: Labour Rights - during COVID ...read more

Webinar on Right to Food

Prior to the announcement of the National Lockdown on 25 March 2020, a number of courts had shut down in response to the ...read more

Legal Training for Transgender Persons - Transgender Persons Act, 2019

In the wake of a number of laws that affect Transgender lives and bodies drastically, which include the Transgender Pers ...read more

University forced to change admission form for Transgender Lady

Alia Sk vs State of West Bengal and Ors; W.P. No 21646 (W) of 2019
Disposed Off

Police Protection provided to a Queer Woman

Areka Sarkar and Anr Vs State of West Bengal and Ors; WP 9638(W) of 2019
Pending

West Bengal District Lawyers

Contact our District Lawyers for cases in the following districts. In case you are not able to reach our district lawyer ...read more

Acid Attack Survivors in conversation on the journey after the attack. (Spoken in Bengali)

Sanchayata Yadav, Jhuma Santra, Sujata Swarnakar, Acid Attack Survivors in conversation on the journey after the attack. ...read more

SLIC's Kolkata unit forms a strong alliance with the transgender community in West Bengal

SLIC started working on issues faced by the transgender community since 2016, where a matter on behalf of a transgender ...read more

Central Administrative Tribunal (Kolkata) allows transgender UPSC candidate to apply offline since online form lacked ‘other’ gender option

Atri Kar v. State of West Bengal and Ors., O.A. No. 1201 of 2016, State Administrative Tribunal
Disposed off

FACT- FINDING REPORT ON THE VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO FOOD OF SEX WORKERS IN THE WATGUNJ RED LIGHT AREA AT MUNSHIGUNGE ROAD (KHIDDERPORE RED LIGHT AREA)

The Fact- Finding Investigation has been conducted by a team led by Advocate Joveria Sabbah on 15.08.2021 at the W ...read more

REPORT ON PROVISIONS FOR TRANSGENDERS IN HOSPITALS IN WEST BENGAL, INDIA

Transgender people have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from the sex that they were assigned at bi ...read more

COOCH BEHAR DISTRICT MEETING

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It ...read more

Violatence upon Transgender Person

Kasba Police Station 393 dated 17.10.2020
Investigation is pending

Covid Hospitals cannot arbitrary deny use of mobile phones

WP 5416 of 2020: Jaimin Rajani Versus The State of West Bengal
Disposed

Promise and Performance of the Forest Rights Act, 2006: The Tenth Anniversary Report

The passage of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) promised the reversal of a major ‘historical injustice’ which dates back ...read more