Chandigarh: Haryana DGP Ajay Singhal on Friday said that recording witness statements through video conferencing in district courts is a significant reform towards making the justice delivery system more effective, time-bound and result-oriented. He said that the use of this technology led to a substantial reduction in delays caused by the non-availability of witnesses and accelerated the pace of case disposal.The DGP further noted that police, jail administration, as well as medical and expert witnesses are no longer required to appear repeatedly in courts, thereby reducing the burden on time, resources and security arrangements. He also emphasised that, in sensitive cases, video conferencing emerged as a reliable medium for ensuring the safety and convenience of witnesses.“In the past one year (Jan 15, 2025 to Jan 16, 2026), 89,136 witness statements were recorded through video conferencing. The presence of doctors, forensic and other experts, police and jail officials, as well as general witnesses, is no longer hindered by geographical distance, security arrangements or time constraints. To assess the administrative, environmental and economic benefits derived from the effective implementation of the 3 new criminal laws, a detailed study was conducted by an independent agency, which yielded highly positive results,” said a source. “With the introduction of the e-challan system, approximately 6,704 A4 reams of paper were saved in just 4 months, resulting in a reduction of 8,165 kilograms of CO₂ emissions and the conservation of 315,106 litres of water. Similarly, the e-summons system saved around 3,240 reams of paper, leading to the conservation of 152,306 litres of water and 2,700,466 litres of fuel, with an estimated monetary value of ₹25.65 crore—an achievement accomplished within just 6 months. Meanwhile, the extensive use of video conferencing in judicial proceedings resulted in savings of approximately 122,400 litres of fuel over 7 months, with an estimated cost saving of ₹1.16 crore,” the source added. MSID:: 127989316 413 |
