NEW DELHI: Delhi government has created 55 posts of prosecutors in Metropolitan Magistrate and Sessions Courts of the national capital to overcome the shortage and also to ensure delivery of speedy justice.
The proposal of creation of 23 posts of assistant public prosecutor, 31 posts of additional public prosecutor and one post of chief prosecutor in the Directorate of Prosecution under the non-plan scheme was approved by Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung.
"The Directorate of Prosecution was facing acute shortage of public prosecutors for presenting cases in the various courts of Metropolitan Magistrate and Sessions Court and had requested the Department for obtaining sanctions of creation of requisite number of public prosecutors," Additional Secretary (Home), G P Singh said today.
He said that the Director Prosecution has also asked for several posts of public prosecutors in the newly created criminal Session courts also.
Singh, however, clarified that two posts of public prosecutor and one post of assistant public prosecutor were earmarked for the Home Department and salary of these posts shall be withdrawn by Directorate of Prosecution from its budgetary head. These posts shall be treated on the sanctioned strength of Directorate of Prosecution.
He said that the concurrence of Finance Department has already been obtained for creation of these posts.
High Court had issued a number of directions in the recent past to solve the crisis of prosecutors so that the criminal justice system does not suffer.
The Home Department is also making efforts to create additional posts in the newly opened courts complying with the High Court directive of keeping a back up of 10 per cent of the strength of the public prosecutors in each and every district to ensure that during certain exigencies, the criminal courts do not go unrepresented.
Singh said that the process of filling up these posts will be started soon and it will be completed as soon as possible.
The Directorate of Prosecution already has a strength of 160 assistant public prosecutors, 71 additional public prosecutors and 14 chief prosecutors.
The recently approved posts will be added to the existing strength.