# Madras HC lays down guidelines on video conferencing in criminal trials 2026-08-08T13:32:07+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Madras High Court has issued broad guidelines allowing trial courts to permit accused persons to participate in criminal proceedings through video conferencing, even in cases governed by the old CrPC. Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy ruled that courts may draw guidance from the BNSS, the Madras High Court Video Conferencing Rules, 2020, and proposed 2026 Rules. The order came in a case under the Food Safety and Standards Act, where one accused was a 71-year-old Hyderabad resident with age-related ailments and another lived in Texas, US. The court dismissed a petition to quash the prosecution but allowed virtual appearance for routine hearings, distinguishing genuine residents abroad from fugitives or economic offenders. ## Coverage - livelaw.in Tags: BNSS, criminal trials, CrPC, Food Safety Act, Madras High Court, video conferencing Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/madras-hc-lays-down-guidelines-on-video-conferencing-in-criminal-trials/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/madras-hc-lays-down-guidelines-on-video-conferencing-in-criminal-trials/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.