Criminal proceedings, trials to be fast-tracked

Criminal proceedings and trials are set to be fast-tracked across Haryana, with the management of evidence — to be produced in courts — going high tech. The government, through a notification issued by Sumita Misra, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), has put in place the Haryana (eSakshya) Management Rules, 2025, governing the electronic management of evidence.

Now, the evidence would be collected and recorded though the eSakshya mobile application of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs or any application developed and maintained by the government. The stored evidence will consist of audio-video recordings and photographs of investigating officer or person whose statement is being recorded during investigation.

“All evidence recorded through eSakshya mobile application shall generate a secure packet of event (eSakshya packet) with a unique ID with opening, closing stamp and geo-location,” the notification said.

During trials, appeals and other criminal judicial proceedings, the eSakshya packet shall be accessible to the courts concerned through Sakshya portal on the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS). The ICJS is a software currently in operation for the transfer of information among various wings of the criminal justice system, including investigating agencies, courts, correctional homes and forensic laboratories.

The judicial officer dealing with the case will be able to access eSakshya packet through Case Information System, currently being used by the district judiciary and high courts. The eSakshya packet shall be archived after the completion of all proceedings in trial courts and moved to a dedicated archival storage, which can be retrieved within five days of the orders from the court concerned.

These rules have been framed to implement various provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.