The state government is considering using modern technology such as retina scan and biometric finger printing for maintaining records of the accused at the time of arrest. This data base will be used to track the accused if he jumps bail or absconds.
A division bench of Justice NH Patil and Justice AR Joshi suggested the additional chief secretary (home department) to consider approving the use of modern technology at the earliest.
“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 panchanama. It is time circumstantial evidence was collected in a better way,” said the judges.
The court directed the state government to file a detailed affidavit on how many accused were absconding. It asked details like how many of them are undertrials, convicted in trial court and appeal was pending in the high court and how many have been convicted by the high court and Supreme Court and are out on bail or parole.
The direction was given after the court was informed by additional public prosecutor Aruna-Pai-Kamath that from November 26, 2013, to January 9 there were 5,500 accused from the state who are absconding. The court said “Once they are put in categories, the investigating agency’s will also come to know how many investigations are stuck up because of the accused absconding.”
The court said: “Unfortunately, we (Maharashtra) do not have a stringent law in place to act as a deterrent and create fear in the minds of the accused and convicts. We need a proper mechanism to put pressure on them to say that if they don’t surrender they would face serious consequences.”
The direction and observation was made during the hearing of a suo moto (on its own) cognizance of the issue of absconding accused in the state.
Move aims to nababsconding culprits
The data base can be used to track accused if he jumps bail or absconds
The court said that a stringent law needs to be in place to act as a deterrent and create fear in the minds of the accused and convicts
A total of 5,500 accused were absconding from Nov 26, 2013, to Jan 9.
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