govinfoadmin
The Hon. Supreme Court of India has given node to the Witness Protection Scheme 2018. Now on the state police needs to provide protection cover to the witnesses. Most of the witnesses turn hostile & convicts get away because of no evidence. Witnesses will get police protection. In most of the cases police will escort witnesses to the court premises. In cases involving organized crime where a criminal groups are involved, the witnesses will be given temporary safe residence along with new identity. If required they will be relocated to an undisclosed locations.
What is Witness Protection Scheme, 2018? A scheme to protect witnesses to so that they can speak the truth in the court fearlessly and truthfully.
The scheme will be law of the land till the parliamentary legislative amendment is not done. The Witness Protection Scheme can into the honorable court`s consideration when the while hearing public interest litigation plea. The plea was filed for seeking protection of witnesses in cases against Asaram Babu. 10 witnesses in the case were attacked & 3 are already killed. Witnesses in the case fear serious consequences & hence they are not ready to speak the truth in front of the court.
Protection Measures:
- To make sure that the witness & accused do not come face-to-face during the investigation & trail
- Monitoring of mails & telephone calls of the witnesses
- To provide new phone numbers to the witnesses
- Protecting identity of the witness during investigation & trial
- Referring the witness with changed name
- Protection & petrolling around witness`s house
- Police escorts to & from the court
- In camera trails
The scheme was framed by the center in consultation with Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) & National Legal Services Authority (NALSA).
