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Our Team
Co-Founder
Mr. Nilay Dutta
Mr. Nilay Dutta (December 16, 1952 - September 19, 2021) was a constitutional and civil rights lawyer who became one of the visible pioneers of prison reforms in Assam. He advanced his ideas on reformation of the resident inmates through active dialogue and radical listening, including all members of the prison eco system in the conversation. His role in leading Studio Nilima: Collaborative Network for Research and Capacity Building to work in the correctional homes of Assam, is inspired from the jail time that he served initially as a student at the age of 18 and later as a human rights activist at 40.
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Board of Directors
Hon'ble Justice Mr D.N. Chowdhury
Former Judge, Gauhati High Court
Hon'ble Justice Mr B.P. Katakey
Former Judge, Gauhati High Court
Dr. Biju Dutta Choudhury
Academic Director, Health City Hospital
Dr. Udayan Misra
Academic & Scholar, Former Head of Department, Dibrugarh University
Dr. Mahfuza Rahman
Former Head of Department, Geography, Cotton College University, Guwahati
Ms. Sudha Shankar
Facilitator & Trainer, Nonviolent Communication
Mr. Sidharth Luthra
Senior Advocate, Supreme Court of India
Ms. Millie Hazarika
Senior Advocate, Gauhati High Court
Mr. Apurba Kumar Sharma
Senior Advocate & Chairman, Executive Committee, Bar Council of India
Mr. Kausar J. Hilaly
IAS, Secretary, Department of Social Justice & Empowerment & Secretary, Directorate of Sports & Youth Welfare
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Our Team
Abantee Dutta
Co Founder & Director
Abantee is the Co-Founder and Director of Studio Nilima: Collaborative Network for Research and Capacity Building. She is a doctoral student and presidential scholar at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University, USA. Her research interests include gender, queer theory, carceral societies, restorative justice processes, identity and intergenerational dynamics of conflict, participatory action research, and peace building practices based on dialogue and self-reflexivity.
Ankita Paul
Project Coordinator: Sarothi
Ankita is an Advocate, by training. She is one of the founding team members of Studio Nilima and is presently the Project Coordinator for Sarothi. She hasworked in the access to justice team and has filed various PILs and writ petitions with the team challenging the detention centers and the infrastructure of correctional homes. She is part of the reading circle in the correctional homes, a program facilitated by Studio Nilima in the District Jail, Morigaon. She takes keen interest in working around the mental health issuesin the correctional homes and the rehabilitation programmes for the residents.
Anubhab Atreya
Litigation Manager
Anubhab is the Litigation Manager at Studio Nilima. Having been part of the founding team of Studio Nilima, he is based in Guwahati where he practices law with a primary focus on criminal defence, at both thetrial and appellate levels. He regularly appears before courts at various levels, including the Supreme Court of India as well as various High Courts. Previously, he has worked in the chambers of Mr. Nilay Dutta, Senior Advocate and Advocate General, Arunachal Pradesh in Guwahati, Assam and Mr. Karan Lahiri, Advocate in Delhi. A graduate of National Law University, Assam, his research interests include aspects of criminal procedure and sentencing policy, particularly inits practice in the North-Eastern region of the country. Formerly, he has beena research associate to the Committee for Implementation of Clause 6 of the Assam Accord constituted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India.
Chayanika Kalita
Legal Strategy Associate
Chayanika is an Advocate, by profession and is currently engaged as a Legal Strategy Associate at Studio Nilima. She is a graduate of University Law College under the Gauhati University. Her work is focused on Studio Nilima’s interventions in thecorrectional homes of Assam, to which she brings her empathy, curiosity andsincere dedication. She works closely with the Office of the Legal Aid Defence Counsels in the districts of Assam, assisting in trial and appellate work for the marginalised individuals. With a passion for the arts and photography, Chayanika is currently on a mission to discover herself as a new professional in the realm of criminal law practice, which she thinks is enriched by her experience of working in the correctional homes.
Md. Faruque Ali
Project Assistant: Pratidhwani
Faruque is a Project Assistant at Studio Nilima, working directly with the correctional home apparatus. He is one of the primary associates who actively visits thecorrectional homes that Studio Nilima’s interventions are focused in. Hisdedication and passion to work for the improvement of the resident community’saccess to justice and legal aid, along with the knowledge that he brings intothe team’s conscience through his lived experiences drives his zeal to work forthe cause of prison reforms in the State of Assam. He is originally a residentof Morigaon and is now based in Guwahati. Faruque is currently focused onbuilding his skills as a researcher and wishes to continue working for theimprovement of the conditions of marginalized communities.
Pushpanjali Medhi
Project Coordinator: Pratidhwani
Pushpanjali is engaged as the Coordinator, Pratidhwani: The Echo, working in the space ofprisons reforms and access to justice, which resonates with her, as it centersfundamental human rights and constitutional values in the correctional homes, by applying principles of collaborative and participatory action research. She is a graduate of National Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam and joinedthe founding team at Studio Nilima in 2016. Through these years, she has primarilybeen involved in several research initiatives spanning over subjects likeidentity and citizenship, customary laws, child rights, access to justice andlegal aid.
Rajashree Konwar
Legal Strategy Associate
Rajashree is a B.A.LL. B (Hons.)degree holder in Criminal Psychology from National Education Foundation LawCollege, Guwahati, and a postgraduate degree in Constitutional Law fromNational Law University and Judicial Academy, Assam. Currently, she serves as a Legal Strategy Associate at Studio Nilima's Pratidhwani: The Echo initiative, where her keen interest in the judiciary's strengths and weaknesses have guidedher professional journey. She is passionate about research and is eager toexplore innovative ways to enhance access to legal resources. Beyond her legalcareer, she is an enthusiastic home-baker and runs a small business calledAiseng’s. She is also a reader, particularly of mythological literature, andhas a strong fondness for Animal rights.