Submit only digital case documents to courts during investigation: K'taka HC directs police
Bengaluru, Nov 6: The Karnataka High Court has ordered for the setting up of a task force for implementing its directions to the police on digitising the investigation procedure and start submitting all documents to the courts in digital format.
The HC was hearing appeals by one Punit and his mother Godavari Bhimsingh Rajput, both of whom were convicted in the murder case of the former's wife Ashwini Rajput. Punit was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering Ashwini by setting her on fire in their home in Mudhol, while Godavari was convicted for harassment and sentenced to three years jail term.
However, the division bench of Justice Suraj Govindaraj and Justice G Basavaraja, in their judgement in two criminal appeals, acquitted both of them as it found many loopholes in the investigation.
While acquitting them, the court made observations about the investigation and said "the investigation has not been carried out properly. This is again not a stray occurrence but a very common occurrence that this court has been coming across."
"Time is not far when any handwritten documents will not be acceptable or accepted by a court. Production of handwritten documents comes in the way of digitalisation of the judicial process which is of prime importance today," the HC noted.
"It is therefore required that First Information Reports, Crime Detail Forms, Arrest Memos, Search/Seizure Lists, Mahazars, Statements, Documents obtained during investigation from hospitals, Road Transport Authorities, FSL etc., Final report in the form of Charge Sheets, B reports, C reports etc., are digitally generated, signed and shared with courts handling bail matters, trial matters, appellate matters, revisional matters," the HC directed in its November 4 judgement.
The HC cited several examples including the absence of photographs of the scene of occurrence of the crime. The dying declaration was recorded on the personal mobile phone of the Investigating Officer which was transferred to a CD in a private mobile shop. A certificate had to be obtained without which it was not admissible as evidence. So, it could not even be presented in the trial court.
The court also pointed out to the documents submitted by the Investigating Officer which were handwritten. "The handwriting not being good as also there being not much space between each written line," the court noted.
Photocopies of the documents were blurred and while original records were checked even they had faded and become brittle and were torn.
The HC, therefore, directed for training of officers. "It is therefore required for the Director General of Police to issue necessary instructions to all the Investigating Officers to record the statements not by hand but by digital process by typing in appropriate software."
The court ordered for the setting up of a task force. "Establish a task force by the Director General of Police, consisting of the head of Police IT, Principal Secretary e-Governance Department, nominee of the NCRB, representative of Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems.
"This committee is to firstly work out the methodology of sharing the existing digital records with courts and secondly to consider the above aspects including digitisation of all processes," it said.
The court said it was surprised that police were still submitting handwritten documents. "It is rather surprising that the Police IT having commenced digitalisation in the year 2005, the court is still receiving handwritten documents in this case in the year 2016. It is required that all the entries are made digitally," the HC said.
"The documents are to be signed digitally by providing digital signatures to the Investigating Officers and other persons. When such digital signatures are not available, physical signatures of such persons to be obtained, scanned and uploaded into the Police IT System and digitally signed by the person uploading," the HC further said.
The HC also directed for videographing of places where 'mahazar' is conducted and tagging them with GPS coordinates. "The FIR, charge sheet and other documents, etc., to be in digital format to be shared through Interoperable Criminal Judicial System (ICJS) to the courts," the HC said.
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Bengaluru jail introduces biometric tracking system for prisoners
Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.
According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.
Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.
Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.
Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.
The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.
Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.
