The three-way connectivity between Burail Jail, Tihar Jail and Chandigarh District Courts, Sector 17 will be completed within a fortnight. This was told to the Punjab and Haryana High Court by the UT Administration and BSNL authorities, on Wednesday, during the resumed hearing of a public interest litigation.

Counsel for BSNL, which is completing the process of connectivity, and counsel for Chandigarh Administration today submitted that cables have been laid and the connectivity will soon be made operational. Since the new UT District Court Complex is about to get operational within three months, the High Court today asked the UT Administration to make a request to the BSNL authorities to ensure the connectivity, laying of cables, from new DIstrict Court Complex, in Sector 43 to Burail Jail. The new District Court complex will be made operational by July end.

Making a significant observation, the Bench remarked that since the Judicial Academy, adjacent to the new District Courts Complex, already has the facility of video conferencing, it will not be very difficult to extend the service to the new District Court Complex. The High COurt has asked BSNL to ensure that the needful be done. The BSNL has been asked to arrange for the apparatus for connectivity.

The development took place during the resumed hearing of a PIL filed by Viresh Shandilya who had sought directions for the three way connectivity. The petitioner had stated that the Jail and District Courts be connected so that dreaded terrorists like Jagtar Singh Hawara, Paramjit Singh Bheora, convicts in the Beant Singh assassination case are not produced in the UT District Courts on every date of hearing. Hawara and Bheora are presently lodged in Tihar Jail.