Advanced video recorder to deal with hostile witness issue

VIJAYAWADA: In order to increase the conviction rate in cases booked under the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities (POA) Act, the state Crime Investigation Department, for the first time, is field-testing an advanced video-recording device, Occulus, that can be produced in courts as video evidence of witnesses’ statements. The device looks like a tablet computer with Android as its operating system. Cameras on both the sides lets investigation officers record the statements from victims and witnesses and use them in courts. 

Occulus’ usage is being planned as many witnesses turn hostile in courts resulting in low conviction rate in the SC/ST POA cases. When the photos or videos are being recorded, Occulus stores the GPS location coordinates, and mentions the date and time as the digital evidence. “Occulus was built as a secure cloud-based audio-video witness statement recording device, and ensures that victims and witnesses do not turn hostile. The video evidence will be produced in courts during the case trial process. National Forensic Sciences University in Gujarat will be acting as the third party certification authority,” said the Deputy Inspector of General (DIG)-CID Sunil Naik.

In the state-level SC, ST Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting held earlier this month, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy directed the officials to conduct a speedy inquiry into the pending cases related to the atrocities against people from SC and ST communities. 

According to a document presented in the meeting, as many as 2,401 cases were reportedly booked under SC/ST POA in 2019, most of which were from Kurnool, Prakasam, Anantapur, East Godavari and Guntur. 
However, the conviction rate in crimes against SC community is significantly lower, at 6.8 per cent, in the state against the country-wide figure of 32.1 per cent. Similar is the situation when it comes to crimes against STs: the conviction rate in the state is 1.8 per cent against 26.4 per cent in the country. 

In their observation, the CID officials found the problem is due to delay in the submission of chargesheet, complainant and witnesses turning hostile, and lapses in the investigation. “We are conducting special drives to clear the pending cases, and initiating departmental action against those officials who failed to submit chargesheet on time. Under section 15 A (10), it is mandatory to video record all witnesses’ statements, and Occulus is yielding positive results. The device will give no scope for complainants or witnesses to tack back or change their statements,” DIG Sunil Naik added.