The result of the state police's ceaseless efforts to track down absconding accused was evident at the end of January when the number of absconders came down to 9,966 from 13,990 in April 2012.
According to statistics provided to the Bombay High Court on Friday, a total of 4,024 absconding accused were tracked down. The data submitted reveals that the total number of absconding accused pending filing of charge sheet is 1,439, pending trial is 7,900, convicts pending appeals is 80 and those who jumped furlough and parole is 547.
The data was submitted during the hearing of a suo motu petition on accused Ramzan Sabit Hussain, who jumped bail in 2003 after the court cancelled his bail. Hussain was convicted in 1993 in a murder case.
A division bench of justices NH Patil and VL Achliya said, "Adopt a scientific and forensic approach while handling criminal cases. Even today, a constable at the police station goes and records the statements of witnesses and carries out a spot panchnama. It is time that circumstantial evidence is collected in a better manner."
The Mumbai police filed an affidavit stating that a proposal has been sent to the government to consider use of modern technology like retina scan and biometric finger printing for maintaining records of the accused at the time of arrest. This database shall be of use to track the accused if s/he jumps bail or absconds.
The bench also said that maximum details of the accused should be collected at the time of the arrest, including personal details and details of family members. While granting bail, details of the sureties and immovable properties of the accused should be taken down. This, the court said, would help in issuing notices for seizing properties and also in creating a database of the accused.
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