Mah pulled up for no video-conference facility in courts,jails

Lambasting Maharashtra Government for its apathy towards introducing video conference facility in courts and jails, the Bombay High Court today said the state and police can save at least Rs 15 lakh every day by not producing accused physically in cases which come up for hearing.
"It is very unfortunate that we have to give directions in public interest litigations such as this and only then the government does it," said a bench of Justices V M Kanade and P D Kode, while hearing a PIL alleging lack of policemen to escort prisoners from jails to courts.
"We find that judiciary is the last priority for the Government for any request made for providing infrastructure. There is no response from the Government. These matters should not come to the Court. The administrative wing of the state take care of it. We are anguished," said the bench.

Additional Public Prosecutor Aruna Kamat-Pai said the process of providing this facility was on. The Women and Child welfare department was also considering to provide video conference link in juvenile courts, she said.
Granting three weeks time to the Government to move in the matter, the judges said in their order, "sanction has not been given for providing this facility. We hope and expect that the State would take a quick decision on the issue and connect jails and courts with video conference link."
Observing that trials were getting delayed because the accused were being produced late in the courts, the High Court had earlier asked the State to consider forming a separate cell in police department to make it responsible for escorting undertrials from jails to courts for appearances.

The PIL alleged lack of police personnel to escort prisoners from jails to courts and sought a direction to the State to set up video conference facilities in every jail and court across the State so that there is no delay in cases.
On last occasion, the Government had informed that 146 courts and 54 jails across the state would soon have video conference facilities.
The matter has been posted for hearing on July 31.