Patna, Advocate Suman Kumari, Legal Correspondent, September 22nd 2026: The Chief Justice of India, Justice Surya Kant, will inaugurate India’s first Victim Rights Centre at the Bihar State Legal Services Authority (BSLSA), Patna, on September 26th 2026.
A Transgender Helpline will also be launched on the occasion, while a fleet of Multi Utility Vehicles will be flagged off. The Chief Justice of India will also release the Authority’s publication on the Centre.
The Victim Rights Centre is a pilot project of the Bihar State Legal Services Authority, established under its functions under Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.
The Centre aims to provide coordinated and continuous assistance to victims of crime, who often have to deal with the police, hospitals, courts and several government agencies after an incident.
Although victims already have several legal rights, including free emergency medical treatment, free legal aid, a copy of the FIR, a hearing at the stage of bail, compensation, protection and the right of appeal, support is currently spread across different agencies.
One Point of Assistance for Victims
The Centre will provide one point of entry and one record for every case, reducing the need for victims to repeatedly narrate their experiences at different offices.
It will also follow internal timelines and remain accountable to the Authority. A case will be closed only after relief has been obtained and the outcome verified, or when the victim requests closure in writing.
The Centre will not create a new statutory body or require new legislation. Instead, it will work through existing institutions and coordinate with the police, hospitals, Child Welfare Committees, One Stop Centres, government departments and other organisations.
Focus on “Invisible Victims”
An important feature of the Centre is its recognition of “situational victims”—people who may not have been directly subjected to an offence but suffer significant harm because of the criminal justice process.
This includes dependent families of sole earning members who remain undertrial prisoners for a substantial period, as well as persons who are acquitted after years of detention and return to families and livelihoods that may have changed during their incarceration.
Transgender Helpline
The Transgender Helpline being launched alongside the Centre will assist transgender persons with identity certificates and access to housing, employment, health and welfare benefits, under the Authority’s 2023 scheme.
12-Month Pilot in Patna
The Victim Rights Centre will initially operate as a 12-month pilot project in Patna district. Following an evaluation, the model is proposed to be extended to other districts through the District Legal Services Authorities.
The programme at the Authority will begin at 12:10 PM on September 26. Justice Sudhir Singh, Executive Chairman of the Authority, and Justice V. Kameswar Rao, Chief Justice of the Patna High Court and Patron-in-Chief of the Authority, will address the gathering along with the Chief Justice of India.
