Smt. Chitra Hankare holds a B.Sc. and LL.M. degree and retired as a District Judge from the Maharashtra State Judiciary. Initially, she practised as a civil as well as criminal lawyer before the Trial Courts, CAT and the High Court for some period. She also served as a panel Advocate for the Municipal Corporation and actively participated in and was associated with social organisations. During her judicial service, she presided over Civil Courts, Criminal Courts, Mobile Motor Vehicle Court, Family Court and Labour Court. As an Additional Sessions Judge, she also acted as Special Judge in various Special Courts, such as POCSO, ACB, Atrocity and MACT, etc. During that period, she awarded various punishments, including life imprisonment and capital punishment. She delivered 90 judgments in one day and convicted all the accused persons in those cases after conducting trial. She also delivered judgments in 87 Civil Municipal Appeals in one day. She was appointed as Secretary, DLSA, where she conducted various legal literacy camps and delivered lectures on various laws for the public, students and institutions. She is a trained Mediator (by the Hon'ble Supreme Court) and, as a Mediator, settled several matters. She also prepared papers and compilations on different legal topics for workshops conducted for Judges and, during her tenure as a Judge, was entrusted with administrative work.