New Delhi: Delhi has taken a major step toward modernizing its justice delivery system with the notification of the Delhi BNSS (Service of Summons and Warrants) Rules, 2025, enabling the electronic dispatch of court summons and warrants through WhatsApp and e-mail. Officials said the move will significantly cut delays and bring greater efficiency to the process of
serving legal notices.
The rules, issued by the city’s Home Department and cleared by Lieutenant Governor V. K. Saxena earlier this month, are designed to reduce the heavy paperwork burden on the police. “This reform will allow officers to focus more on core policing and investigation instead of clerical tasks,” a senior official explained.
Under the new framework, summons generated by the courts will carry the digital seal and signature of the presiding judge before being transmitted electronically. Police stations will then share these authenticated documents with the intended recipients through their registered e-mail IDs or WhatsApp numbers.
However, physical delivery has not been ruled out entirely. The notification clarifies that if electronic service fails, or if the recipient’s digital contact details are unavailable, courts may instruct the police to serve the summons or warrant in the traditional manner.
In sensitive matters, including cases registered under the POCSO Act and those involving women, girls, or juveniles, the rules also introduce safeguards for privacy. Contact details like e-mail addresses and phone numbers of victims will remain confidential, ensuring their identity
is not compromised.
To make the system functional, all police stations across the capital will now be required to create electronic summons delivery centres. These units will be tasked with sending notices digitally, confirming receipt, and maintaining records of
all communications.
The police will also maintain updated electronic or physical registers of individuals who are to be served summons or warrants. These databases will be integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS) and shared with local courts every month for cross-verification.
Officials noted that this shift aligns with the larger framework of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure. With its rollout, Delhi becomes one of the first states to operationalize technology-driven service of summons
and warrants.
“Quicker service of notices means cases can move faster, trials won’t be held up, and citizens won’t have to wait endlessly for basic processes,” the official said, calling the reform a landmark step in the city’s judicial administration.