Date:17/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/17/stories/2008091753740300.htm

Karnataka - Shimoga

Videoconferencing facility opened in Shimoga court

Special Correspondent

‘It will help in speedy disposal of cases’

Going hi-tech: Principal District and Sessions Judge K.S. Patil (centre) inaugurating the videoconferencing facility in Shimoga District Court on Tuesday.

SHIMOGA: Principal District and Sessions Judge A.S. Patil inaugurated the videoconferencing facility at the Shimoga District Court on Tuesday. The Additional District and Sessions Judge Srikanth Babaladi, the Judges of the Fast Track Court S.H.Mittalkod and Renuke were present on the occasion.

Speaking to presspersons Mr. Patil said that the Shimoga District Court was the fourth in the State to get the videoconferencing facility sanctioned under a Central Government scheme, the other three districts that had such a facility were Bangalore, Gulbarga and Bijapur.

This facility would not only save time but also ensure security of the undertrials while helping in the speedy disposal of cases, he said. Such a facility would be extended to lower magisterial courts too in a phased manner.

Mr. Patil said the list of the custody cases to be heard through the videoconferencing would be prepared at least a month in advance and the District Court, Additional District Court, Fast Track Court would be intimated so that they could fix the timing for holding the hearing of the cases.

Only the undertrails would not be produced physically in the Court, otherwise all other procedures would be the same. The Court and the prison staff were being given necessary training to hold videoconferencing, he said.

About Fast Track Courts formed by the Union Government for the expeditious disposal of cases, he said they would function till March, 2010. The number of pending cases in District Courts had gone down , he said.