AGARTALA, Feb 28 (TIWN): The vulnerable Witness Deposition Center started on Wednesday in District and Sessions Court of Sonamura, aftermath Supreme Court had set a deadline of April 30 for all District courts. District and Sessions Judge Prakash Kumar said that this center has been started as per Supreme Court guidelines so that the witnesses are not threatened by any miscreant or put under pressure. From the Vulnerable Witness Deposition Center or this room, judges can also communicate through video conferencing. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Chief Judicial Magistrate Subhdeep Pal, Family Court Judge, District Court PP Advocate Manna Sen along with other court judges and police officials.

The Supreme Court on January 22 the high courts to take necessary steps for setting up of Vulnerable Witnesses Deposition Centre in all districts on or before April 30, 2024 citing Court was informed that two high courts are yet to implement the VWDC guidelines based on the model of 2022 circulated by Justice Gita Mittal.

"The State of Odisha is yet to implement the guidelines insofar as civil cases are concerned. In terms of the expanded definition of vulnerable witnesses, the State of Tamil Nadu has not taken any action at all. We permit Justice Gita Mittal to draw this fact to the attention of the Registrars General of the High Courts of Odisha and Madras together with the copy of this order so as to ensure that both the High Courts take necessary steps positively on or before April 30, 2024," the bench comprising of Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said in the order on January 16, 2024.