Govt working on criminal justice info system

New Delhi, Jun 10: The government has embarked upon an ambitious plan to integrate data on different stages of criminal proceedings -- right from lodging of FIR to handing down of sentence -- into a seamless digital format but some agencies are reluctant to share information for the network.

Department of Justice in the Law Ministry has pressed for an early implementation of an 'integrated criminal justice information system' in the country.

According to the ministry, it would enable integration of data related to different stages of criminal proceedings from the commencement at a police station through the process of investigation, prosecution, judicial determination, sentencing and appeal, in a seamless electronic format.

An inter-department committee headed by Supreme Court judge, Justice Madan B Lokur, is looking into the possibilities of integrating Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS) of the Home Ministry with eCourts and ePrisons to facilitate exchange of information and data among the various institutions concerned with criminal justice system.

The CCTNS project was launched in 2009 for digitally connecting all the police stations and digitising all existing FIRs.

The project has received renewed focus of the Narendra Modi government with the Union Budget allocating Rs 250 crore for it.

A recent meeting of the Advisory Council of the National Mission for Justice Delivery and Legal Reforms was informed that the process of integration has begun in "certain areas."

But at a February 15 meeting to discuss the proposed integrated criminal justice information system organised by Justice Lokur, it came to light that "some departments/ agencies were reluctant to integrate as they do not want to share their information", sources said.

The Advisory Council was informed of the reluctance of certain agencies to connect with the proposed system. A need was felt to sensitise these agencies that sharing of information will facilitate the necessary improvement in criminal justice system, they said.

PTI