A recent Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed before the High Court of Chhattisgarh at Bilaspur, seeking the appointment of Examiners of Electronic Evidence under Section 79A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, for the State of Chhattisgarh.
The PIL, filed by Shirin Malewar, prayed for a writ of mandamus or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction, directing the respondents to appoint/designate Examiners of Electronic Evidence within a stipulated time frame.
The petitioner also sought directions to establish the necessary infrastructure and facilities for certifying electronic records as required under Section 63(4) of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.
The PIL highlighted the growing concern of cyber crimes in the State of Chhattisgarh and the need for the appointment of Examiners of Electronic Evidence to address this issue.
The High Court, comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Judge Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, heard the matter and observed that the appointment of Examiners of Electronic Evidence was absolutely necessary in light of the increasing cyber crimes in the State.
The Court directed the Union of India to file an affidavit informing the Court about the appointment of such persons as prayed in the PIL.
The matter was listed for further hearing on March 10, 2025.