CBI model court to fast-track cases

The model court is on the lines of modernization of the judiciary for better functioning and speedy disposal of cases. As of now,some courts in Gujarat and Delhi maintain e-records of proceedings and judges and lawyers use laptops during proceedings.

CBI nodal officer Ejaz Khan said,“Video recording of witnesses’ testimony is a foreign concept and courts in first-world countries have it. We plan to follow it. This will benefit the CBI,as the demeanor of the witnesses,their conduct in court,which is always taken into consideration by the court while passing judgments,will be available. Since cases probed by us have wider ramifications,it will go a long way in securing better results in our cases.”

Among the many technological firsts in courts in Maharashtra,the CBI court is likely to also allow witnesses to depose from their own states. A forensic expert from Bangalore,for instance,can depose directly from there and doesn’t need to carry the original documents all the way to court. The records would be scanned and shown on screen to the judge. Khan said,“There are provisions under the Indian Evidence Act and the Information Technology Act that allow e-records to be accepted as legal documents in court.”

In the multi-crore fake stamp-paper scam,the CBI had installed video-conferencing facility and over 10 trials against prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi and his associates were conducted through video-conferencing. Telgi used to appear in the proceedings from Pune’s Yerwada Jail. It was only during the judgment that he was brought to the court. For better use of new technology,the CBI plans to acquaint special judges with the equipment.