3 Mumbai courts, two prisons get video conferencing facility

Video conferencing facility has been commissioned by the home department at three courts of Mazgaon, Dadar and Borivali and also at Byculla and Arthur Road jails at a cost of Rs 1.5 lakh.

This was informed by deputy chief minister R R Patil in the legislative council in reply to a bill for amending laws to introduce information technology applications in the home department.

Patil termed video conferencing as the safest mode for producing accused in a court.

"As against an expenditure of Rs 17 lakh for producing accused at these courts, video conferencing set up has cost only Rs 1.5 lakh," he pointed out.

He said several trials of video conferencing between the judges, advocates and the accused in jails had been conducted prior to the tabling of the bill.

He said the provision in the bill had the consent of none other than the President of India. Patil further said the facility would be housed in separate court rooms in jails. If needed, judges can ask the accused to appear personally, he pointed out.

The bill was given passage in the upper house of state legislature on Wednesday.

"It is a cost-effective way of communication between the judiciary and the police. It will also avert any possibility of attack on accused while producing them personally before the court," he said.

Reiterating that this was a part of programme for modernisation of police force, Patil disclosed that the central government would be sharing 60 per cent of the total expenditure on the modernisation project. If proved successful, this facility will be implemented at all major courts and jails in the state.