‘Witness need protection mechanism’

Oct 26, 2010 - Age Correspondent |

New Delhi

Expressing its serious concern over witnesses turning hostile during the pendency of a criminal trial as there was no mechanism to protect them from inducement, threat and coercion, Tis Hazari Court’s additional sessions judge (ASJ) Santosh Snehi Mann has sought a response from the state over its failure to put in place a witness protection programme despite several directions by the higher courts since 1998.

The court said funds cannot be cited as a constraint in setting up such a programme and referred to the the CWG in Delhi. “The recent spectacular extravaganza of the CWG has dispelled the notion about financial constraints in the way of creating a system for protection of witnesses,” the ASJ said. The court directed the state to apprise the court about any witness protection programme devised in compliance of the directions given by the Supreme Court.

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