Mumbai: The Bombay High Court has directed the Maharashtra government to provide details on e-mulakats and video conferencing facilities being provided in jails across the state. The court has also asked for statistics of the number of accused produced before the courts through video conferencing (VC) from jail and number of those physically produced in the last six months.
The state had started e- mulakat facility in jails during the COVID-19 pandemic to allow prisoners to speak to their family members through video calls.
The HC had taken suo motu (on its own) cognisance of the issue of non-availability of VC facility in courtrooms and jails across the state. The issue has come to light during the hearing in a bail plea of one Tribhuvansing Yadav who had claimed that his application for bail in the lower court was adjourned on 23 occasions as he was not produced before the court physically or through VC.
The court has earlier asked the government to make necessary funds available to ensure that all jails and courts across the state have VC facility so that accused persons can be produced in court virtually.
On August 2, a report was submitted by the government highlighting the steps taken for ensuring video conferencing cameras in district courts. The report stated the still 1406 courts have not been provided with audio / video interface.
The court then asked the government to submit statistics from the prisons at Thane, Arthur Road jail and Byculla womens’ jail in Mumbai, Taloja jail in Navi Mumbai, Adharwadi (Kalyan), Yerwada, Kolhapur, and Nashik on the number of accused being produced through VC in the last six months and number of those produced physically before the courts.
“In addition, there should also be a clarification to what extent the facility of e-mulakats has been percolated in these jails,” Justice Bharati Dangre said. The HC has kept the matter for hearing on August 14.
