Supreme Court Questions Video Conferencing Lag in Maharashtra Courts

The Supreme Court has ordered the Maharashtra home secretary to explain the underutilization of video conferencing for court proceedings. Justices Rajesh Bindal and R Mahadevan requested an affidavit detailing current facilities and funds spent, after complaints of frequent trial delays due to non-production of accused.

The Supreme Court has issued a directive to the Maharashtra home secretary to clarify the reasons behind the non-utilization of video conferencing facilities in court proceedings. This order comes amidst concerns over delayed trials due to the absence of accused individuals.

A bench comprising Justices Rajesh Bindal and R Mahadevan has requested the secretary to submit an affidavit within two weeks, outlining why such digital facilities are not being employed for producing accused persons in court and recording evidence.

The court’s directive is in response to a plea from an accused person, whose trial has faced repeated adjournments, totaling 30 times, due to issues in producing him before the court. The affidavit must also include a report on the current status of video conferencing infrastructure in Maharashtra's judicial system and the financial allocations made for its implementation.

(With inputs from agencies.)