New Delhi, March 10 -- The Supreme Court on Monday expanded its scrutiny of the failure to produce undertrial prisoners before trial courts, calling upon all high courts, police and prison chiefs across the country to explain what steps they have taken to ensure that constitutional safeguards for incarcerated persons are not violated. A bench of justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan directed that the directors general of police and the heads of prison departments of all states and Union territories, along with the registrar generals of all high courts, be impleaded as party respondents in the case. The court also sought specific details from high courts on whether dedicated virtual courts exist for producing undertrial prisoners through video conferencing, noting that such systems could help balance manpower constraints with security concerns. "We are of the opinion that this is not a localised situation, but rather a pan-India situation, which the Court is inclined to address for the larger public benefit and especially, when it relates to the life and liberty of a common man," the bench noted in its order released on Monday. The directions came during proceedings in a case where the court had earlier summoned senior police and prison officials from Maharashtra after an undertrial prisoner was not produced before the trial court on 55 out of 85 hearing dates. The Thane police commissioner, Kalyan jail superintendent and additional senior jailor (judicial) appeared before the court in person as directed earlier....