KOCHI: The Kerala Police force, already grappling with a severe shortage of personnel, is facing an unsustainable burden as nearly 1,500 officers are deployed every day solely to escort undertrial prisoners to courts and hospitals.
The practice, which was temporarily modernised during the Covid pandemic through widespread use of video conferencing, has largely reverted to “outdated” physical escort procedures — raising concerns over resource wastage and missed opportunities for digital reform, according to senior police officials. They said an average of 80 personnel are deployed daily from each of the state’s 20 police districts, many drawn from district headquarters camps, for escort and protection duties both within and outside their home districts.
“Even without accounting for rural courts, Kochi city alone has around 15 functioning courts. Escorting the accused to and from these courts every day requires at least 50 to 60 police personnel,” said an assistant sub-inspector with the Kochi City Police.
In districts housing central jails, such as Thiruvananthapuram and Thrissur, the numbers climb further, with 80 to 100 personnel tied up daily. These deployments include long-distance escort duties to courts in other districts and often involve multiple hearings per accused individual.
“This is not just a matter of manpower,” the officer added. “There are also significant financial costs involved — food and travel expenses for the accused, allowances for escorting officers, vehicle fuel, and more. The burden on the police department and the state exchequer is enormous.”
Despite having the infrastructure to avoid these physical escorts, the system remains underutilised. The virtual court appearance mechanism was introduced in Kerala as early as 2010, with jails equipped with dedicated video conferencing facilities. However, the discretion to mandate a virtual or physical appearance lies solely with the judiciary.
Jacob Punnoose, former state police chief, stressed on the urgent need to adopt technology to ease the pressure on the force. “In this era of digital advancement, where police stations, jails, and courts are interconnected, it is high time we modernized and reduced our reliance on outdated escort practices,” he said.
Punnoose also pointed out a practical challenge: some repeat offenders treat court visits as outings. “They use the opportunity to meet family members, interact with friends, or consult lawyers — turning what should be a formal legal procedure into a social affair.”
During the pandemic, the situation briefly changed for the better. The virtual appearance system was adopted across the state, even for serious charges like murder.
C R Biju, state general secretary of Kerala Police Officers Association (KPOA), said that crores were spent to upgrade jail infrastructure to support virtual court proceedings. However, the momentum waned after the pandemic. “After Covid, the old practice of physically escorting accused persons to court was reinstated. It is a step backward,” said Biju. “If virtual court appearances were made standard in all but the most sensitive cases or key stages of trial, the state could better utilise the available workforce and drastically cut down on unnecessary expenditure.”
Former MP and senior lawyer Dr Sebastian Paul echoed the sentiment, stating that virtual appearances are legally sound and effective in most situations. “There is no legal objection, nor do lawyers oppose it. In fact, the accused can communicate just as effectively — sometimes even better — via video. Magistrates simply need to ensure they inquire properly into the well-being of the accused.”
Dr Paul further noted that digital hearings would also help safeguard the dignity of undertrials. “These individuals are not convicts. Virtual production spares them the public humiliation of being paraded in handcuffs.”
However, former Kerala High Court judge Justice K Narayana Kurup cautioned that any permanent policy shift should come only after a thorough, national-level consultation involving higher judiciary members. “This is a sensitive matter and must be addressed comprehensively. The state government should move forward only after due legal and judicial deliberation,” he said.
With the state police force stretched thin and modern alternatives readily available, experts and stakeholders agree that returning to virtual court appearances is not just a matter of convenience—it’s an urgent administrative necessity.