The Chandigarh Administration has notified a set of rules for the digitisation of court summons and warrants. The rules have been framed under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and aim at the transition from physical paperwork to electronic communication.
The courts are now empowered to generate summons and warrants through advanced software like the case information system (CIS) or the e-summons application.
Every electronic process must be encrypted, bear a digital image of the court’s seal, and be authenticated with an e-sign from the presiding officer or an authorised official.
A printout of an electronically generated process is now legally equivalent to an original document.
Summons can be served via email or messaging applications like WhatsApp.
If an email is sent and does not “bounce back”, or if a messaging app shows a delivery receipt, the court will presume the summons has been successfully served. If electronic details are unavailable or service fails, traditional physical delivery by a police officer or court official will still be used.
To ensure the system works, the police and courts must collect digital footprints. During arrests or investigations, the police must record the phone numbers, emails, and messaging app details of the accused, victims and witnesses.
