Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police have introduced GPS tracker anklets to monitor accused people who have been granted bail, making them the first police force in India to adopt this measure, officials told PTI on Saturday.
These wearable devices are fastened around the ankle of the person under surveillance, enabling the tracking of their movements.
The utilization of such anklets is already prevalent in various Western countries like the USA, UK, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, aiding in the monitoring of accused individuals on bail, parole, or house arrest.
Officials from the State Investigation Agency (SIA) of the JK Police told PTI that the implementation of the devices follows an order from the Special NIA Court, Jammu, directing the police to affix a GPS tracker anklet on a man arrested in militancy case, highlighting its significance, as emphasised by the prosecution department of the police.
Providing details of the case, the officials mentioned, Ghulam Mohd Bhat, had applied for bail in an FIR registered under various sections of UAPA, with allegations of involvement in militancy funding, PTI reported.
Bhat was arrested for allegedly “attempting to transport the proceeds of militacy amounting to Rs 2.5 lakh, and he also faced a conviction by the NIA Court Patiala House, Delhi, for association with a militant organisation.
The Special NIA Court, Jammu, acknowledged the necessity of stringent monitoring of Bhat and the strict bail conditions under the UAPA, 1967, as highlighted by the prosecution department of Zonal Police Headquarters (ZPHQ), Jammu. As a result, the court instructed the JK Police to affix a GPS tracker anklet on the accused.
The JK Police has taken the lead in being the first police department in India to implement the practice of attaching GPS tracker anklets to individuals seeking bail, according to the officials.
