Raipur, August 2: Chief Justice of the Chhattisgarh High Court, Justice Ramesh Sinha, on Sunday said Chhattisgarh has the potential to emerge as a model State for scientific criminal investigation if all stakeholders effectively implement the new criminal laws and embrace technology-driven reforms. He stressed that while digital tools can strengthen the justice delivery system, they must complement, and never replace, judicial wisdom and fairness.
Justice Sinha made these observations while delivering the keynote address at the State-Level Workshop on “Strengthening Digital Justice through New Criminal Laws”, organised by the Government of Chhattisgarh at Hotel Babylon International, Raipur. The workshop was inaugurated by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai and attended by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, Law Minister Gajendra Yadav, Justice N.K. Chandravanshi of the High Court, judges, judicial officers, senior police officials, prosecutors, forensic experts, medical officers and other stakeholders of the criminal justice system.
The Chief Justice said the Unified Digital Justice Platform, comprising e-Challan, e-Sakshya, Nyaya Shruti, e-Forensic and e-MedLEaPR, marks a significant milestone in building a transparent, technology-driven and citizen-centric criminal justice system. According to him, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) seek to transform criminal investigations by promoting scientific investigation and expanding the use of authentic digital evidence.
Justice Begins at the Crime Scene, Not the Courtroom
Justice Sinha observed that criminal trials have traditionally depended on oral testimony, human memory and paper records, all of which are susceptible to delay, error and disputes over authenticity. Technology, he said, provides an opportunity to preserve evidence objectively and scientifically.
He remarked that justice actually begins at the crime scene rather than in the courtroom. The quality of investigation determines the quality of prosecution, which in turn influences adjudication and ultimately public confidence in the justice delivery system. Scientific documentation at the earliest stage, he said, strengthens every subsequent stage of the criminal process.
e-Sakshya Is More Than a Mobile Application
Describing e-Sakshya as one of the most important features of the new legal framework, the Chief Justice said it should not be viewed merely as another mobile application. Instead, he described it as an integrated digital evidence management ecosystem that enables timely collection, secure preservation and seamless transmission of evidence while maintaining its authenticity and integrity.
He explained that every photograph, video recording, search, seizure and crime scene inspection becomes part of a secure digital chain of evidence, shifting the emphasis from recollection to documentation and from subjective narration to objective preservation.
Technology Must Strengthen Fairness, Not Replace Judicial Wisdom
Justice Sinha emphasised that technology should never replace judicial wisdom but should strengthen judicial confidence. Digital records, he noted, protect both the prosecution and the accused by objectively demonstrating whether investigations were conducted fairly or whether procedural lapses occurred.
He further explained that e-Sakshya addresses longstanding concerns regarding the integrity of evidence through metadata, timestamps, geolocation, unique identification numbers, electronic signatures and secure storage, thereby strengthening public confidence in the administration of justice.
Message to Investigating Officers
Addressing police officers, the Chief Justice said the success of e-Sakshya depends primarily on the professionalism and impartiality of investigating officers. Technology alone, he said, cannot compensate for a deficient investigation.
He urged officers to regard digital documentation not as an additional responsibility but as a professional safeguard that protects investigations throughout the trial by minimising future disputes regarding evidence.
Judiciary Must Embrace Digital Evidence Management
Justice Sinha praised judicial officers for embracing technology through e-filing, digital case management and video conferencing. He noted that during June alone, 9,910 cases were heard through video conferencing in district courts across Chhattisgarh, while nearly 58 cases were heard virtually in the High Court.
He encouraged all stakeholders to progressively adopt the Nyaya Shruti platform to ensure greater interoperability and seamless coordination among various institutions within the criminal justice system.
New Criminal Laws Recognise Electronic Evidence
Explaining the legal significance of the new criminal laws, the Chief Justice said the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 substantially expands the legal recognition of electronic and digital records by treating them on par with conventional documentary evidence.
He pointed out that the new law provides a modern statutory framework for the admissibility and proof of electronic evidence, enabling courts to rely on CCTV footage, mobile phone data, emails, GPS records, digital photographs and cloud-based information, subject to statutory safeguards concerning authenticity and reliability.
He added that the BNSS integrates technology throughout the criminal justice process by facilitating electronic communication, videography of searches and seizures, electronic transmission of information and wider use of digital records at every stage of investigation and trial.
Continuous Training Essential for Success
The Chief Justice stressed that technological reforms cannot succeed without continuous capacity building. He said the High Court would continue organising training programmes through the Chhattisgarh State Judicial Academy, while urging the Police Department to strengthen the technological competence of investigating officers.
Looking ahead, he said the criminal justice system must also prepare for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, advanced digital forensics and blockchain-based chain-of-custody mechanisms. The true success of e-Sakshya, he said, would not be measured by the number of digital records uploaded but by the confidence it inspires among citizens that justice is transparent, impartial and founded on truth.
Technical Sessions Focused on Digital Justice
Following the inaugural session, experts from the National Informatics Centre (NIC), National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and other institutions conducted technical sessions on e-Sakshya, Nyaya Shruti, e-Prison, e-Summons, e-Prosecution, e-Forensics, MedLEaPR, data standardisation, victim-centric justice and post e-Challan proceedings under the e-Courts project. The workshop also featured interactive discussions on practical challenges and best practices for implementing the new digital justice framework.
