Haryana launches project to curb investigating officials' court appearances

After the successful implementation of 'e-vetting' and 'e-custody' programmes, the Haryana Advocate General's office has launched a pilot project to curtail the personal appearance of police Investigating Officers before the Punjab and Haryana High Court in criminal cases.

Once fully implemented, the project could curtail the personal appearance of nearly 50,000 investigating officers before the court in future. The appearance would be done using technology.

"The office is keen to use the technologies in routine working so as to ensure saving of both time and money of the court as well as the state government," Haryana Deputy Advocate General Himmat Singh, who is the State Nodal Officer (Litigation), said here on Friday.

He said that Police Station, Sector-20, Panchkula, has been identified for launching of this project.

"After its successful implementation, the same would be replicated in other police stations in the entire state. This is the third Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) enabled initiative of the AG office that would curtail the personal appearance of about 50,000 Investigating Officers per year in the High Court in criminal cases," he said.

He further added that personal appearance of the IO would be required only in those cases where original police file of the case is required or where the High Court has passed specific orders for personal appearance of the IO.

"The new project has been designed to avoid unnecessary appearance of IOs in the court. At the same time, this would also slightly curtail delay in disposal of cases, inconvenience to police and law officers as well as financial burden on the state exchequer,"he said.

Giving details of the new ICT enabled initiative, Singh said that presently, the IOs had to furnish particulars of a criminal case in a prescribed proforma before appearing in the court.

--IANS

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