• Ragini Sarma
• Dr. Jai Shankar Ojha

Witness is a person who either of its own will or for the need of justice comes forward in the court to present its testimony in order to provide justice in a case. In any criminal case in India, witnesses play a very important character while determining its final outcome. Because of their important position they are threatened the most. They are most of the time threatened by the opposite party and then the parties try either to mould witness in their favor or turn them hostile. Hence it becomes very important to protect the witness so that they don’t get intimidated or they are not under fear while revealing the truth in the court. There are witness protection program in various countries around the world. But India still lacks this kind of protection because proper implementation of witness protection is still not being working properly. Infrastructure and implementation continue to be so poor that there are still a vast number of cases where the witnesses turn hostile. This article mainly deals with the concept of witness protection and the importance and treatment to witnesses. Further it also deals with developments in India so far and its analysis in India regarding the challenges faced and suggestions regarding its improvement. In fact, there are very few instances where the witnesses are being provided with protection. Witness protection program and witness protection scheme are a need of hours. But ironically in India, such programs are away from reality, where the witness lacks protection but they are not even treated with respect. The harsh reality is that they are harassed a lot and not only that they are threatened, bribed but much more. Several steps have been taken by the government regarding the protection of witness but today after years of anticipating a concrete system of safeguarding witnesses, the Supreme Court finally approved the draft witness protection plan on December 6, 2018. The first ever plan known to be witness protection scheme was prepared by the government which has to be implemented in all the states.

Witness, protection, treatment, threat, hostile witness

"Witness Protection Law in India: Issues and Current Status", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no.467-472, April-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904370.pdf

"Witness Protection Law in India: Issues and Current Status", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 4, page no. pp467-472, April-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1904370.pdf