KOCHI: The video conferencing system connecting various sessions courts and magistrate courts with jails in the district has started functioning. Jail officials said that the video conferencing system was found successful as around 10 accused from district jail and sub-jails each in judicial custody are being examined by the judges and magistrates using the system every day.
T Sudheer, Superintendent of Kakkanad district jail, said that the video conferencing system started functioning from Monday. “On the first day alone around 16 persons in Kakkanad District Jail were examined. On Tuesday and Wednesday more than 12 persons were examined. For producing 16 persons at the courts, at least 32 policemen were required to escort them. The video conferencing will help the accused persons under judicial custody to complete court procedures at the right time,” he said.
Besides, the video conferencing system will also help in reducing the number of persons escaping while being brought to court and bringing of contraband to jails.
“Gadgets like mobile phones and other equipment are brought to jail when the accused are produced before the court and taken back. Similarly, looking at the number of accused escaping from judicial custody, it can be found that many of them ran away while they are being taken to the court. With the video conferencing, the only requirement is that more officials should be allotted for handling the system and they should be given training in this regard,” an official in the Prison Department said.
Around 20 courts in the city have started using the system. The required equipment has been installed at the Ernakulam district jail and Ernakulam, Mattanchery and Muvattupuzha sub-jails.
A room has been set up at the District Court Complex near Kanayannur taluk office from where judges and magistrates can examine the accused.
“Currently, each magistrate and judge has been allotted a time for examining the accused persons under judicial custody. The system has been started on trial basis in Kochi. Later it would be implemented in the entire state,” officials in the district court said.