Team India

Our Team

International Bridges to Justice is led by a group of over 65 employees, interns and volunteers throughout the world. Browse through the staff working at our headquarters office in Geneva and our seven regional offices situated in Asia and Africa.

India Team

New Delhi: PT-62/17, Kalkaji, New Delhi, INDIA 110019

Ajay Verma – IBJ Fellow, Delhi

Since receiving his law degree and accreditation in 2001, Ajay Verma has been providing free legal assistance to the poorest communities in Delhi through his own private practice. As a practicing advocate before the Supreme Court of India and Delhi High Court, Ajay has a strong passion in litigation. Ajay has been frequently recognized as a dynamic, young leader in the field of criminal justice by The High Court of Delhi. To this end, he has been appointed to the Panel Counsel for the Government of India, the Panel Counsel for the Delhi High Court Legal Service Committee, and as the national representative for the Young Lawyer Committee of the International Bar Association. Ajay works closely with the Delhi Legal Services Authority, and is a member of several international bar associations such as the American Bar Association, International Bar Association (IBA), National Association of Criminal Defence Lawyers (NACDL) and Union internationale des Avocats (UIA). Additionally, he has been associated with many nongovernmental organizations such as Amnesty International India, American Civil Liberties Union and Human Rights Watch.

Pujya Jennifer Pascal – Program Coordinator

Pujya has more than six years of experience in the citizen sector in India focusing on advocacy and policy analysis of issues related to human rights, criminal justice and security sector reforms. Most recently, she worked with United Nations Development Programme on a UNDP-Department of Justice (Govt. of India) partnership Project on Access to Justice for Marginalized People. From 2009 to 2011, Pujya worked at New Delhi’s Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative in the Prison Reform Programme that seeks to protect prisoners’ rights and catalyze reform in the prison system. Prior to working on prison reform, she worked as a Consultant at the Regional Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross, focusing on humanitarian intervention and protection of civilians during armed conflicts in South Asia. Pujya has intensive experience in research, documentation and evaluation of laws and procedures of the Indian justice system, strategy building and program development, creation and promotion of communication and advocacy tools, training and workshop facilitation, and network and alliance building. She holds graduate degrees in History, International Relations and Disarmament Studies from St. Stephen’s College and Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

Pallavi Saxena – Legal Research Assistant

Pallavi graduated with B.B.A LL.B double-degree in 2010 from Symbiosis Law School, Pune and has since been involved with the NGO sector. She is currently pursuing her Masters in Criminal Law and Human Rights from the Indian Law Institute, New Delhi. Prior to joining the Duty Lawyers Project in February 2012, Pallavi worked as an intern at IBJ from November 2011 – January 2012. Her association with legal aid has been nominal so far, but she wants to be actively involved in the process of ensuring access to justice and delivery of fair trial to individuals undergoing detention. Pallavi is interested in policy research of issues related to human rights, particularly of women and children. Pallavi loves to travel and is an avid reader.

Meena – Intern

Meena is an office assistant of IBJ INDIA’s Delhi office. She graduated with a B.A degree from University of Delhi in the Year 2004. She is a qualified computer Operator and Programming Assistant. She manages day to day affairs of the Delhi Office besides the administrative work. Prior to IBJ she has worked as an Office Assistant in a Law firm.

Tushar Kanti Mandal – Volunteer Photojournalist

Working as full time Senior Software Analyst with Dell Services at Noida for almost Four Years, Tushar has a passion in photography. Tushar has been associated with IBJ India Since June 2011 and contributed his time to cover IBJ India’s activities. Before his association with IBJ India Tushar has also volunteered for various social causes, Of these the major work done were photo essays for UNV in collaboration with a Delhi Based NGO Joining Hands and preparation of Photo Calendars for an NGO Bal Sahyog.

Ajay Raghav – Volunteer Lawyer

Ajay Raghav started practicing as a lawyer in 2005 as a trial courts lawyer. He has more than six years of experience in handling both civil and criminal cases in the District courts of Delhi. He has also handled Writ Petitions, Public Interest Litigations, civil as well as criminal cases in Delhi High Court and is volunteering with IBJ as a duty lawyer since September 2011. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce from Delhi University and L.L.M from Veer Kunwar Singh University from Ara, Bihar.

Jitendra Ratta – Volunteer Lawyer

Jitendra Ratta graduate from Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law – University of Delhi in 2009. He has been a litigation and consulting lawyer; drafting and finalizing all kinds of petitions for filing in courts and other forums in Delhi. He has also handled negotiations with clients and is currently working with R.S. Bakshi & Co., Advocates and Legal Consultants since January 2010. He has been working with IBJ since December 2011.

Ratika Mehrotra – Volunteer Lawyer

Ratika Mehrotra is a lawyer practicing independently since January 2009, handling matters at Supreme Court and High Court in Delhi, including district courts and forums. She has been on the panel of Delhi Legal Services Authority and was nominated as a Jail Visiting Advocate too. Ratika is the recipient of an Award Certificate for excellent work in the compoundable Cases Project (2000-2001) from Retd. Hon’ble Justice Sh. Venkatchalliyah, President, National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, India. She also received a scholarship from India Friends Association, an NGO based in California, United States, for their Right to Information project in India. Ratika has authored several articles, including one on dealth penalty titled, ‘Every Saint Has A Past And Every Sinner A Future’, which was published in Supreme Law Times in March 2005. She has been with IBJ since December 2011.

Suchiti Chandra – Volunteer Lawyer

Suchiti Chandra graduated from Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law – University of Delhi in 2007 and enrolled herself at the Delhi Bar Council in the same year. Most recently, Suchiti worked as an Associate with Mr. Vikas Pahwa, Standing Counsel, Central Bureau of Investigation and Additional Standing Counsel, Delhi Police from April 2010 to October 2011. She also worked as a Legal Consultant with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India from October 2008 to December 2009. She has considerable experience in arguing criminal writs in High Court and preparing appeals, counter affidavits to writ petitions, rules, guidelines, and notifications for the implementation of legislations. Suchiti is a member of the Delhi High Court Bar Association and joined IBJ in December 2011.