e-Sakshya App: Purpose, Key Features and Challenges

e-Sakshya App is a digital tool launched by the Government of Odisha to ensure transparent and real-time monitoring of development projects, enabling officials to upload geo-tagged images as proof of work completion.

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Context: The Tamil Nadu Police will soon launch a mobile app called e-Sakshya, developed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

About the e-Sakshya App

e-Sakshya App is an innovative mobile application built by the National Informatics Centre (NIC) of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India. It is an integral part of India’s larger digitalization drive in the criminal justice system aimed at facilitating the adoption of the new criminal legislations – the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

It was widely launched by the Union Home Minister, Shri Amit Shah, on 4th August 2024 along with other digital platforms (Nyaya Setu, Nyaya Shruti, and e-Summon) for transforming India’s criminal justice system.

Purpose: To help Tamil Nadu police personnel collect mandatory audio-visual evidence, upload photos, and generate secure, time-stamped SID packets during investigations.
Developed by: Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
Implemented through: State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB), Tamil Nadu.

Key Features

Capture and upload audio-visual evidence.
Upload photographs of crime scenes/witnesses.
Generate SID packets (Secure, Geo-tagged, Time-stamped evidence with hash verification).
Generate certificates with timestamps.

Objective

To strengthen the chain of custody.
Ensure admissibility of evidence in court.

Usage

Used by all investigation officers.
Officers have been trained in using the app.

Legal Compliance

Complies with Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Evidence must be linked with FIR, GD, and CNR numbers.

Backup Protocol (when app unavailable)

Part-A Certificate: Issued by the police or videographer.
Part-B Certificate: Issued by an expert under Section 329 of BNSS.

Technology Used

Blockchain: To ensure data integrity and trustworthiness.

Integration

Evidence is uploaded to the ICJS/Sakshya portal.
Courts and magistrates can access evidence online.

Challenges

Though having such vast potential, the e-Sakshya app is hindered by challenges, which mainly involve ensuring strong internet connectivity in all rural pockets and sufficient training to a large number of police personnel spread across the nation. Maintaining the security and integrity of the cloud infrastructure for critical evidence is equally important.