Tamil Nadu Police to Launch e-Sakshya App for Digital Evidence Collection

The Tamil Nadu Police is soon going to introduce e-Sakshya, a phone application that has been created by the Union Home Ministry to gather digital pieces of evidence. It will enable investigating officers to document audio, video and photo evidence at crime scenes which are all geo-tagged, time & hash-verified. The application is developed to enhance chain of custody and make the digital evidence admissible before the court pursuant to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. The officers are made to work with the application and in offline cases manual certification procedures will be applicable. The evidence will be processed alongside ICJS and will be accessed by magistrates through the Sakshya portal.

Context:

• The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, states that appropriate digital evidence of a crime scene must be carried out to ensure greater transparency, accountability, and the rapidity of trials.

• The growing suspicion of tampering with evidence and delays justifies the move as part of the countrywide effort to use technology and blockchain to make law enforcement more modern.

Highlights of e-Sakshya App:

• Gathers: Photographs, audio and video tapes at crime scenes

• Time stamped and Geo tagged evidence

• Hashes verification builds on immutability

• Auto-prints prescriptive legal document certificates

• Tampering-free data using blockchain-based backend

• Incorporated with ICJS and Sakshya portals to reach courts

• Manual certification (Part A & B) option offline in the event of the app non-availability

Implementation Details:

• Downloaded on the mobile phones of every investigating officer

• Every officer who is trained in using apps

• Includes search and seizure, recording of witnesses and crime scene recording

• Packets known as SID (Secure Immutable Data) are associated with:

• FIR Number

• GD ( General Diary ) Number

• CNR (Case Number Register) Number

Legal Framework:

• App is in line with BNSS 2023 requirements on admissibility of evidence

• Under manual fallback system, Part-A (used by police/videographer) and Part-B (used by forensic expert under Section 329)

• Transparency was that evidence was auto-routed to magistrates and courts

Significance:

• Enhances the validity of evidence and court acceptability.

• Deters fraud and procedural slip-up Reducts instance of fraud and procedural slip-ups

• The digitalization of criminal justice Enhances digital readiness of criminal justice system

• Becomes an example to the other Indian states

Conclusion

The launch of the e-Sakshya app marks a transformative step in digitizing India’s criminal justice system. By ensuring tamper-proof, geo-tagged, and hash-verified evidence, it enhances the credibility and admissibility of digital proof in courts. Integrated with ICJS, it reduces delays, strengthens transparency, and deters manipulation. The app aligns with BNSS 2023, setting a national benchmark for digital policing. This initiative will likely inspire other states to adopt similar technology-driven law enforcement practices.