HC directs district judges to form panels to oversee e-filing system

Madurai: Madras high court has directed all the principal district judges to constitute taluk-level and district-level committees to oversee the functioning of the e-filing system and ensure its proper implementation.
Justice K Murali Shankar also directed the state police department to complete the implementation of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS) 2.0 within a period of three months to ensure the proper functioning of the e-filing system.
The judge observed that the e-committee of the Supreme Court introduced the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) platform, which interconnects the CCTNS (police), CIS (e-Courts), e-prison (jail), e-forensic (forensic department), and e-prosecution (prosecution). The National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) is a nodal agency for implementing the ICJS project in coordination with the National Informatics Centre (NIC).
The judge noted that the system was put in use in several states across the country, but it is yet to be implemented in Tamil Nadu due to the incompatibility of the CCTNS platform of the Tamil Nadu police department with the National ICJS platform. Apparently, the Tamil Nadu police used its own application instead of the one based on the NCRB standards, which is causing problems with the integration of e-prosecution, e-prison, and e-forensic departments.
Despite assurances from the police department that the CCTNS 2.0 would be completed by Dec 2023, the project remains unfinished. "To resolve this issue, it is crucial that the home department, police department, and other stakeholders work together to address the compatibility concerns and ensure seamless integration of the e-filing system with other departments," the judge observed.
The judge noted that the inspector general of police (south and central zones) and the commissioners of police, Madurai, Trichy, and Tirunelveli City, raised concerns about the e-filing system in their reports. Specifically, they stated that the system is not user-friendly. Currently, chargesheets filed by police stations through e-filing are sent to the portal of the chief judicial magistrate (CJM). However, if a large number of chargesheets are sent to the CJM portal, it can be challenging for the magistrates to identify and process their own chargesheets.
Despite initial training, many staff members handling the e-filing system still require guidance. To address this, periodic training sessions should be conducted to ensure that staff members are equipped with necessary knowledge and skills to effectively manage the e-filing system, the judge observed.
To address the issues related to e-filing and chargesheets, taluk-level and district-level committees shall be constituted. The judge directed both committees shall meet at least once a month to discuss the filing of chargesheets and other reports by the police, verification and taking of cases on file by the concerned court, defect memos issued and re-submission of rectified charge sheets, and production of FIR and other incidental affairs.
The police department and the principal district judges are expected to comply with these orders promptly and ensure that the e-filing system is fully functional and efficient, the judge directed.