The High Court of Delhi has directed the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to develop a software for uploading names and other details of proclaimed persons on an online user-friendly portal.
The Single-Judge Bench of Justice Talwant Singh has directed the Centre to provide required infrastructure, web space and search facilities for the data, for implementing the project.
The court has instructed the same to be done under the guidance of monitoring committee appointed by court which is chaired by Principal District and Sessions Judge (Headquarter).
The order was passed by Justice Singh passed after hearing all the stakeholders going through the report of Senior Advocate Arun Mohan, who has been appointed as Amicus Curiae.
The Director/In-charge of Inter-Operational Criminal Justice System (ICJS) has been instructed by the court to also coordinate with the monitoring committee and ensure that all possible technical and tactical support is provided for the project.
The court said that initially the data regarding proclaimed would be uploaded on the internal servers that would be accessible only to authorised persons.
After the data is checked, re-checked and verified by the stakeholders would it be to be developed by NIC for Delhi District Courts.
It added that only the data of proclaimed offenders or persons in cases registered by the Delhi Police and those named in private complaint filed directly in the District Courts may be uploaded.
The court said that details of those named in case or complaints registered by law enforcement agencies, like CBI and ED, may be uploaded after a gap of at least six months, subject to the final decision of the monitoring committee.
Justice Singh also ordered that a centralised cell must be established at Headquarter level of the Delhi Police.
In the meantime, Delhi Police (Headquarter) shall assess the manpower required to man that Cell and shall take up the issue of additional manpower with relevant authorities, the court said.
It also added that the Delhi Police shall be responsible for uploading of the data regarding the cases registered by them. On the other hand, the District Courts shall be responsible for uploading of data in cases where criminal complaints are directly lodged in the courts.
The court added that monitoring committee must devise a method for up-dation of the data in cases where the proclaimed offenders/proclaimed persons have appeared in the Court and the purpose of issuing the proclamation stands satisfied.
As the court directed the monitoring committee to continue to meet periodically and monitor the implementation of its earlier orders, it ordered: that the Monitoring Committee under the chairmanship of learned Principal District and Sessions Judge (Headquarters) shall submit its report after every three months before this Court and the next date of hearing in the matter is now fixed on 06.09.2023.
Justice Singh also appreciated Amicus Curiae for “graciously agreeing” to provide all help to the Monitoring Committee, Delhi Police, Delhi District Courts and other stakeholders for implementing the project.
The court said that the report submitted by learned Amicus Curiae shall form the basis of implementing the project and all positive suggestions made by stakeholders be also considered by the Monitoring Committee from time to time.