By SK.Vyas
Chandigarh, Dec 15,2017 – After the successful implementation of e-vetting and e-custody programmes, the office of Advocate General, Haryana has launched a pilot project to curtail the personal appearance of Investigating Officers (IOs) before the Punjab and Haryana High Court in criminal cases.
While stating this here today, Deputy Advocate General, Himmat Singh, who is also the State Nodal Officer Litigation, said that under the able guidance of Advocate General, Baldev Raj Mahajan, this office is very 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. He said that Police Station, Sector-20, Panchkula has been identified for launching of this ambitious 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.
Himmat Singh said 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 added.
Giving further details of the new ICT enabled initiative; he said that presently, IOs had to furnish particulars of a criminal case in a prescribed proforma before appearing in the court. This proforma is being used by the Law Officers as well as IOs to make the required information readily available during hearing of cases. Now, concerned Naib Court or MHC or Data Entry Operator would have to furnish details of case in this performa and forward the same to the office of Advocate General, Haryana through Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS). This would not only facilitate the Law Officers in cases but would also curtain the unnecessary appearance of IOs.
Himmat Singh said that Police Station, Sector-20, Panchkula had been identified to implement this project on pilot basis. A team of 13 officers under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Panchkula Manbir Singh and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Panchkula, Anshu Singla have been selected for its successful implementation in the police station.
Two Law Officers of the office of Advocate General, Haryana namely Himmat Singh and Kapil Bansal, both DAG have been assigned the task for the said pilot project.