New Delhi: LG VK Saxena has given his approval to notify all police stations in the capital as “designated places” from where police officers can provide evidence to the court through video conference, Raj Niwas officials said on Tuesday. This, officials said, will ensure that police officers dealing with various cases do not have to travel and physically attend court proceedings, thereby saving a great amount of time and resources by deposing through video conference and enhancing their functioning.Earlier, the video conferencing facility for providing evidence was only available in the Delhi High Court, district courts, prisons, hospitals, the forensic science laboratory and some govt offices. “This major reform comes under the draft model rules (Nyaya Shruti) on video conferencing under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, which recommended the inclusion of police stations as ‘designated places’ for deposition through video conference for police personnel and officers,” said a Raj Niwas official.As per Delhi Police estimates, nearly 2,000 police officers of different ranks depose before various courts every day. Officials said Union home minister Amit Shah, who has personally been supervising the smooth implementation of the three criminal laws since their rollout, has also been emphasising the deposition of police personnel through video conference from police stations. In a recent review meeting, officials said the minister directed the setting up of an adequate number of video conferencing facilities to ensure smooth functioning and proper coordination between the police and the courts.Accordingly, Delhi Police sent a request to the home department of the Delhi govt for notifying all 226 police stations – 179 territorial, 16 belonging to metro police, 15 related to the cyber cell, eight of railway police, two linked with the crime branch, two at the IGI Airport and one each belonging to the economic offence wing, special cell, crime against women cell and vigilance – as “designated places.” A proposal was thus prepared by the home department and sent to the LG for his approval.The move will mark a departure from the current requirement for police personnel and senior officers, including investigating officers and those who are witnesses in criminal cases and any other related officer, to be physically present in the courts for providing evidence. This will bring greater transparency and efficiency in overall police functioning, decongest the courts and provide more time to the force for policing and investigation.
