Undertrials in several high-profile cases are approaching courts for permission to use computers or laptops to examine voluminous electronic evidence and chargesheets in Indian jails.
In recent years, courts have granted limited access in cases such as the Malegaon 2008 blast and the Elgaar Parishad matter. Accused individuals, including lawyers Surendra Gadling and Arun Ferreira, received permission for supervised computer use in Taloja Jail for one hour twice a week.
In the Antilia terror scare case, dismissed police officer Sachin Waze sought a laptop to review 1,000 terabytes of data collected by the NIA. A May 2024 court order allowed him daily access from 11 am to 4 pm under supervision, though without internet.
Jail authorities have opposed such requests, citing monitoring challenges and the risk of similar demands from other inmates. Earlier precedents include permissions granted to Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit in 2011 and directions from the Madras High Court in 2008 for supervised access in Chennai.
The shift to the BNSS, which mandates video recording of searches, has increased electronic evidence. Wahid Shaikh, acquitted in the Mumbai train blasts case, noted that such access helped identify fabrications in investigations.