Pulwama, une 19: Two specially-abled individuals from South Kashmir’s Pulwama district have found relief through the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), which intervened to help them resolve legal and financial challenges.
In one case, a middle-aged specially-abled man from a village in Pulwama, who had been taken into custody in connection with a criminal case in 2024, finally received legal support.
Speaking to Rising Kashmir, the man said he is the only son among four siblings.
“My sisters are married and living with their husbands. I lost my father years ago, and now I live alone,” he said.
Due to his disability, he was unable to do manual labour, making it difficult even to arrange two meals a day.
Lacking the financial means to hire a lawyer, he remained in jail for several days.
He later learned about the availability of free legal aid and submitted an application through his mother.
“The bail application was filed in court on December 31, 2024,” said Advocate Mehraj ud Din Wani, Chief Legal Aid Defense Counsel (LADC), adding that the man’s mother unfortunately passed away during the legal proceedings.
Wani explained that the LADC scheme was launched in India in 2022 through the National Legal Services Authority to provide free legal representation in criminal cases for those who cannot afford it.
“On February 13, 2025, the court granted interim bail to our client,” Wani said. “
Wani said that the man was required to appear before the court once every month.
“Later, on June 18, 2025, the court granted absolute bail, giving him much-needed relief,” Wani said.
All legal expenses were covered by DLSA under the LADC scheme.
Wani said that DLSA remains committed to providing free legal aid to underprivileged and marginalized communities.
In a separate case, another specially-abled person from the Kakapora area of Pulwama sought help through DLSA after being burdened with inflated electricity bills.
“I receive a monthly assistance of just ₹1,000 from the Social Welfare Department, but my electricity bill suddenly jumped from ₹500 to ₹2,000,” he said, “Eventually, the outstanding dues, along with bank interest, rose to ₹22,000.”
Despite repeatedly approaching the concerned Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), his pleas were allegedly ignored and met with rude behaviour.
Feeling helpless, he turned to DLSA for legal recourse. Following their intervention, a significant portion of his power bill was waived.
“The relief brought a huge sense of comfort,” he said, expressing gratitude for the support.
