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Source– This post on eSakhsya App has been created based on the article “Ahead of roll-out of the new criminal laws, Union Home Ministry tests eSakhsya App” published in “The Hindu” on 26 June 2024.
Why in the news?
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is testing eSakshya (e-evidence) app before implementation of the three criminal laws.
About eSakhsya App
| Aspects | Description |
| About | 1. The eSakhsya app is a mobile-phone application to help police record crime scenes, conduct searches, and seizures in criminal cases. 2. It enables police to upload recorded evidence to a cloud-based platform. |
| Aim | The app aims to create uniformity in investigations, potentially increasing the conviction rate. |
| Developed by | The app is developed by the National Informatics Centre (NIC).It will be available to all police stations for registration and download. |
| Features | 1. Police officials must upload a selfie after completing the procedure. 2. Each recording can be a maximum of four minutes long, with multiple files uploadable per First Information Report (FIR). 3. If there are connectivity issues, police can record on personal devices, generate a hash value, and upload the file later. 4. Alternatively, they can upload directly through eSakhsya which requires good Internet speed. |
| Challenges | 1. Procuring hardware and cloud space is expensive, and many States lack resources. 2. Maintaining the sanctity of the chain of evidence submission is crucial to prevent benefiting the accused. 3. Forensic evidence integrity is essential, and any issues in procuring digital evidence could lead to criminals escaping justice. |
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