The Supreme Court on Monday considered a request to extend the tenure of the committee headed by former Delhi High Court Chief Justice Gita Mittal (Retd.) till December 2026 to facilitate the completion of the nationwide implementation of Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centres (VWDCs), including the transfer of a central digital portal to the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD).
The case arose from a continuing proceeding arising from the Supreme Court’s 2022 judgment directing the establishment of Vulnerable Witness Deposition Centres across the country for child victims and other vulnerable witnesses.
The petitioner informed the Bench that the committee had submitted its sixth report on April 30, 2026, and that while the bulk of the work had been completed, a few crucial tasks remained. She submitted that a centralised website linking all VWDCs had been developed on a pro bono basis by BITS Pilani, and sought a direction for its transfer to the Ministry of Women and Child Development. She also requested that the committee’s tenure be extended till December to complete the handover and oversee implementation in the remaining jurisdictions.
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“I think by 30th of April we have submitted the sixth report… Most of the work is done. Now only the tail-end jobs are left. One is with regard to the central website for all the VWDCs to be linked. The website has been made, but that’s with a private operator which has taken it pro bono. We want to hand it over to the Ministry of Women and Child Development so that it continues in posterity… Just one technical aspect, the currency of the committee was till April end. Your Lordships may extend it till December… Three High Courts, till now, have not put in even a single VWDC. It’s just the tail end.”
The Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana extended the tenure of the Justice Gita Mittal Committee till December 31, 2026. The Court also requested Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati to obtain instructions from the Ministry of Women and Child Development on the pending issues and ensure that a copy of the committee’s report is furnished to the Ministry for appropriate consideration.