Police officials have announced the imminent launch of the Court Case Monitoring System by the Mumbai police crime branch. This software is designed to enhance the monitoring, or ‘pairavi,’ of ongoing court cases in the city, contributing to an overall improvement in the conviction rate.

The system will compile data on all cases at the trial stage in Mumbai, sending automated reminders to officers throughout the city regarding upcoming court appearances, depositions, and other trial developments. This initiative aims to streamline the coordination between public prosecutors and investigating officers, ensuring that witnesses receive summonses, appear in court on specified dates, and that all case paperwork is current and in order.

The concept of pairavi officers, previously utilized by agencies like the CBI, was introduced in the Mumbai police in 2012, with officers appointed to each police station. Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Atulchandra Kulkarni explained that the software will essentially replicate the functions of pairavi officers. The existing pairavi unit, comprising 20 personnel, will input and manage data into the software.

Kulkarni stated that once operational, the software will contain data from all cases undergoing trial in Mumbai courts. It will be regularly updated with information on new cases as chargesheets are filed. The software is expected to send reminders about case developments directly to the officers and their superiors via mobile phones.

The Joint Commissioner of Police anticipates that the funds for the software will be released within ten days, and the system is projected to be operational within a month. Notably, the conviction rate for Mumbai, which was 31 percent in 2013, rose to 57.64 percent in 2015 after the introduction of the pairavi system.