Sóz Centre for Women’s Legal Assistance Launched at Bengaluru School
Bengaluru: The Sóz Centre for Legal Assistance to Women was inaugurated at Excellent English School in Bismillah Nagar, Bengaluru, marking the launch of a new initiative aimed at helping women deal with legal issues at home, at work, and in society.
The centre is an initiative of ReachLawyer Trust and functions under its Sóz programme. The programme focuses on spreading awareness about women’s legal rights and providing access to quality legal advice through a dedicated team of lawyers. ReachLawyer Trust also works to build professional skills among lawyers, especially those from marginalised and stigmatised communities.
The Sóz Centre at Excellent English School is the first of its kind under the programme. The school has extended full support to the initiative and has deputed staff to assist with its functioning. Women can approach or contact the centre on any day to seek legal clarifications and advice. The programme is especially designed for women who find it difficult to access legal support, understand their rights, or make informed choices while pursuing litigation.
The centre was inaugurated by B. T. Venkatesh, former State Public Prosecutor and founder of ReachLawyer. Addressing the gathering, Dr Benazeer Baig, founder of Excellent English School, spoke about the difficulties faced by women, particularly those from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. She said the Sóz Centre would offer legal advice on a pro bono basis and assist women in securing their rights before courts at a fractional cost.
In his address, B. T. Venkatesh spoke about the rights assured to women under various laws and the gap between legal protections and their actual use. He said that while laws are strong and provide effective safeguards, many women are unable to access them. Referring to the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, he urged women to be confident, resist abuse, and seek legal remedies.
Dr Benazeer Baig, founder and director of Raza Educational Society and Excellent English School, expressed concern over the growing challenges faced by women within families and communities. She said discrimination and abuse are often treated as everyday realities and stressed the need for more centres like Sóz. She also highlighted the school’s role in supporting and participating in the programme.
Dr Kalpana Purushottaman, a counsellor, academician, and child rights activist, spoke about the importance of women speaking up, seeking legal advice, and standing firm to protect their rights. She assured her active involvement along with support from her students for the Sóz Centre in collaboration with the school.
Advocate and activist Akhila Vidyasandra highlighted the challenges women face and underlined the need for women to assert their rights and seek legal protection.
A team of lawyers from ReachLawyer, including Aparna, Tuba Sanobar, Nitin Bubberjung, Ravi, Shankar, N. K. Vinoda, and Mubarak, along with counsellors from the Indian Institute of Psychological Research, took part in consultations and interacted with women seeking legal assistance.
The programme was well attended, with several women seeking guidance. The initiative also served as a platform for women to understand basic legal protections available to safeguard their rights.
Contact details:
Call or WhatsApp:
Nitin Bubberjung: 9036089137
Tuba Sanobar: 9689295684
Kufciya: 8884701964
Email: speak2soz@gmail.com
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Family of injured driver in murder of Suvendu's aide seeks exemplary punishment
Kolkata (PTI): The family of Buddhabeb Bera, the driver injured in the shooting that killed BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's close aide Chandranath Rath, demanded exemplary punishment for those responsible and urged the new government to ensure such incidents do not happen in West Bengal.
Rath was shot dead in Madhyamgram near Kolkata on Wednesday night, triggering a political storm in the state. Bera, who was driving the vehicle at the time of the attack, sustained gunshot wounds and is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Family members said they learned about the incident through television and immediately left for Kolkata.
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"We came to know from TV reports that my nephew had been shot. We still do not know who carried out the attack or why it happened," Buddhabeb's uncle Biswajit Bera said.
"Our only wish now is that he recovers and returns home safely," he added.
Buddhabeb, 25, hails from Majnaberia village in the Chandipur police station area in Purba Medinipur district.
According to family members, he mostly stays in Kolkata for work and visits home occasionally during weekends.
Besides his parents, his younger brother, sister-in-law and several relatives have also travelled to Kolkata following the incident.
Demanding strict action against the perpetrators, the uncle said, "We want the government to conduct a proper investigation and identify those directly involved in the crime. They should be given exemplary punishment so that such incidents do not happen again in West Bengal and no other family has to go through this grief."
A neighbour, Ranjana Ghorai, also sought stringent punishment for those behind the attack.
"In our neighbourhood, we call him Sona. We want exemplary punishment for the people responsible for this incident," she said.
Rath's family members have demanded life imprisonment for the accused, while Adhikari has called for capital punishment for those involved in the killing.
