The Delhi Police has clarified that the controversial notification issued by the Lieutenant Governor (LG) on August 13, 2025, designating all 226 police stations in the capital as facilities for police officials to depose before courts through video conferencing, will not be operationalized immediately. The authorities have confirmed that its enforcement will be contingent on discussions with stakeholders, particularly the legal fraternity, which has strongly objected to the move.
In a formal statement, the Delhi Police announced that Union Home Minister Amit Shah will soon convene a meeting with representatives of various Bar associations to address their concerns. “To resolve the issues raised, it has been decided that the Union Home Minister will meet members of the Bar with an open mind. Until then, the notification will not be put into effect on the ground,” the statement read.
The impugned notification was issued under Section 265(3) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which authorizes the State to notify designated places where witnesses may testify through electronic means. By designating every police station in Delhi as such a venue, the order sought to enable police officers to depose without leaving their respective stations.
The move, however, has sparked an immediate and unified backlash from the legal community. Several Bar associations, including the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), the Delhi High Court Bar Association (DHCBA), and the Coordination Committee of Delhi District Court Bar Associations, have passed resolutions condemning the notification. Lawyers argue that permitting officers to testify from within police stations, which are controlled and restricted environments, undermines the transparency and neutrality of judicial proceedings. They insist that depositions must take place in open courtrooms, which remain accessible to the public and free from institutional influence, to safeguard the fairness of trials.
The opposition has not been confined to resolutions alone. On August 18, a representation against the notification was submitted to the Chief Minister, followed by another to the LG on August 20. Subsequently, on August 21, the Coordination Committee of District Court Bar Associations resolved to go on strike, an agitation that continued through August 27. The DHCBA also called upon lawyers to wear black ribbons in court as a symbolic protest until the notification is withdrawn.
Adding to the chorus of dissent, the Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association (SCAORA) passed a resolution on August 27, cautioning that the notification risked creating an imbalance between investigative agencies and the judiciary. SCAORA underscored that while courts are open and public forums, police stations are restricted and hierarchical spaces, raising legitimate apprehensions of undue influence or manipulation of evidence if testimonies were allowed from within such precincts.
Judicial scrutiny of the notification has also commenced. The Delhi High Court is scheduled to hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the order on September 3, 2025. Another PIL filed by advocate Kapil Madan asserts that the notification infringes the right to a fair trial under Article 21 of the Constitution by allowing prosecution witnesses to depose from official premises rather than before a neutral judicial forum.
Although the LG’s order remains in force as of now, its implementation stands in abeyance. The outcome of the proposed consultation between the Union Home Minister and Bar representatives, coupled with the Delhi High Court’s examination of the matter, will ultimately determine whether the notification is sustained, modified, or withdrawn.
The controversy represents a significant juncture in the ongoing debate over the integration of technology into judicial processes and the constitutional imperative of ensuring fairness, transparency, and public confidence in criminal trials.
Picture Source : https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Delhi_Police_Officers.JPG
