JAIPUR: A new chapter began in the subordinate courts in the state on Friday.
Now, witnesses can record their statement in courts through video conference. The facility has been launched in Jaipur and Ganganagar district courts. The rules for the same were notified on August 2 this year amending the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
V Sarvan Kumar, special secretary, home department, said that the witness would be freed from recording the statement by appearing in a court after travelling several kilometres. Now, the witness will be able to go to the studio of the video conference remote point in the premises of the district court and make statement through it.
In the first phase, all district courts would have studios by connecting them with video conference remote points. A coordinator, a court employee, has been appointed at these studios, he said.
Kumar informed that video conference's hardware has been installed at 1,242 courts of the state. Microsoft team licence and fibre internet connectivity has been given. In the second phase, video conference remote points will be made in the taluka courts. Government offices and hospitals will also be connected to it.
After notifying the rules of video conference by the high court, the witness statement can be done on time. Government expenditure and time will be saved and this would help to expeditious trial of cases. By completing the entire process with transparency, the pending cases of court cases will come down, he said.
The procedure is adopted on the permission of the court. Once a court gives permission, a video conference slot is booked by the court officials. The witness has to go to the video conference remote point of the district court premises and testify. Then the statement is sent by mail and the original signed document is sent in physical form along with the ID and document of the witness.
