Amit Shah Reviews Implementation of New Criminal Laws in Maharashtra

New Delhi: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah chaired a high-level review meeting today in New Delhi to assess the implementation of three new criminal laws in Maharashtra. The meeting, held in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, focused on various provisions related to policing, prisons, courts, prosecution, and forensics in the state.

Senior officials, including the Union Home Secretary, Maharashtra’s Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, the Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), the Director General of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), and representatives from the Union Home Ministry and the Maharashtra government, attended the meeting.

Amit Shah reaffirmed the Modi government’s commitment to delivering a fast, transparent, and efficient justice system. He stressed the importance of timely registration of crimes, stating that there should be no delay in filing FIRs to strengthen law and order.

During the meeting, the Home Minister urged Maharashtra to establish a model Directorate of Prosecution in line with the new criminal laws. He emphasized the need to achieve a conviction rate of over 90 percent in cases involving sentences of more than seven years and called for greater coordination between the police, government prosecutors, and the judiciary to ensure swift punishment for offenders.

Shah also highlighted the need for senior police officers to closely monitor cases of organized crime, terrorism, and mob lynching to prevent misuse of relevant legal provisions. He suggested that Maharashtra should implement a system for recording evidence through video conferencing in prisons, government hospitals, banks, and forensic science laboratories. He further recommended that the state adopt the latest versions of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS 2.0) and the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS 2.0) to improve crime-tracking capabilities.

The Home Minister called for the introduction of electronic dashboards to monitor individuals held in custody for interrogation and stressed the importance of improving internet connectivity in police stations. He also directed the Maharashtra government to ensure the availability of forensic science mobile vans in every police sub-division and to expedite the recruitment of forensic experts to fill vacant positions.

Additionally, Shah advised the integration of Maharashtra’s fingerprint identification system with the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) to enhance criminal identification processes. He also called for a systematic approach to returning recovered property to rightful owners under the new criminal laws and emphasized the need to improve the infrastructure and aesthetics of police stations.

To ensure effective implementation, Shah suggested that the Chief Minister conduct bi-weekly reviews, while the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police should carry out weekly assessments.