Gandhinagar, May 26 (IANS) Gujarat Director General of Police (DGP) K. L. N. Rao on Tuesday appeared before a Kutch court through video conferencing from Gandhinagar to give testimony in a 2021 Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) case, marking what officials described as a practical example of the expanding use of digital systems in judicial proceedings across the state.
Rao attended the proceedings from the Formal Witness Deposition Centre at the Gandhinagar District Court, while the case hearing was being conducted at the court in Kutch’s Gandhidham.
His testimony related to the prosecution’s sanction in the case and was recorded remotely via the court’s videoconferencing facility.
Officials said the arrangement eliminated the need for Rao to travel long distances between Gandhinagar and Kutch, allowing the entire process to be completed in a short time.
The system is part of a wider effort by the judiciary and police department to reduce physical travel for witnesses, officers, and other stakeholders involved in court proceedings.
According to the police department, the video conferencing facility is designed to save time and reduce fuel and logistics costs, while ensuring that court hearings are not delayed due to the unavailability or mobility constraints of witnesses.
It is also intended to reduce the administrative burden on police personnel who are often required to travel for court appearances, thereby allowing them to focus on operational duties related to law and order.
The system further reduces the need to transport prisoners from jails to court premises for routine hearings, which officials said: “helps in lowering escort deployment costs and minimising security risks associated with such movement”.
Rao said the use of technology in judicial processes was essential in the present time. “Adopting technology is the need of the hour. This system helps save time, energy, and fuel, which is a national resource,” he said.
He also appealed for the wider use of video conferencing facilities across the state by police personnel, witnesses, and citizens involved in legal proceedings.
On the same day, Rao chaired a separate statewide review meeting through video conference from Police Bhavan in preparation for the Bakri Eid festival.
The meeting was attended virtually by all city police commissioners, range inspectors general, and district superintendents of police.
Law-and-order arrangements across the state were reviewed, with a focus on maintaining communal harmony and preventing untoward incidents during the festival period.
During the meeting, officials were instructed to maintain strict surveillance over rumours circulating on social media, strengthen policing in sensitive areas, and ensure adequate deployment of personnel as part of advanced security arrangements.
Traffic management plans and emergency response readiness were also reviewed as part of the preparedness measures for the festival period.
–IANS
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