‘Explain procedure for uploading data of proclaimed offenders’

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has sought a report from the Delhi Police on the procedure to be adopted for verification and uploading the names and details of proclaimed offenders on a public platform.

The high court had earlier asked the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to develop a software and other facilities for uploading the names and details of proclaimed offenders to enable citizens to assist the police with information regarding their whereabouts and help the State take further action against them.

However, at a recent hearing, the court was informed that a clarification was required as to the agency which will comply with the earlier direction.

Justice Amit Bansal said, ‘Let a brief report be filed by the DCP (Legal Division), Delhi Police with regard to the procedure to be adopted for verification and uploading the aforesaid data.’

The high court listed the matter for further hearing in December.

It had earlier said the court-appointed committee headed by the Principal District and Sessions Judge (Headquarter) here shall monitor the implementation of its directions.

During the hearing, senior advocate Arun Mohan, who was appointed as amicus curiae in the matter, submitted that in the last meeting of the committee, it was noted there is some ambiguity with regard to one of the directions passed in the high court’s May judgment.

The ambiguity pertained to which agency is responsible for uploading the data of proclaimed offenders/ proclaimed persons, the high court noted.

The particular direction had stated ‘as far as uploading of data is concerned, the Delhi Police shall be responsible for uploading the data of proclaimed offender/ proclaimed persons declared by the courts in criminal cases registered by Delhi Police.’

In the May verdict, the high court had said the data will be uploaded initially on the internal servers and later on the public platform to be developed by the NIC after verification.