By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, FEB 15, 2025: UNION Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, chaired a review meeting on the implementation of three new criminal laws in Maharashtra, in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in New Delhi yesterday. The meeting reviewed the implementation and present status of various new provisions related to police, prisons, courts, prosecution, and forensics in the state. The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary, the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Maharashtra, the Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), the Director General of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), and other senior officials from the Union Home Ministry and the state government.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that Modi government is committed to provide a speedy and transparent justice system to the countrymen. He said that to strengthen law and order, it is essential for crimes to be registered, so there should not be any delay in filing FIRs.

Union Home Minister said that Maharashtra should establish a model Directorate of Prosecution system in line with the new criminal laws. He emphasized that efforts should be made to achieve over 90 per cent conviction rate in cases with sentences of more than 7 years, and that the police, government lawyers, and judiciary should work together to ensure that the guilty are punished as swiftly as possible.

Home Minister reiterated that senior police officers should regularly monitor cases of organized crime, terrorism, and mob lynching to prevent the misuse of the sections related to these crimes. He noted that there should be a system for recording evidence through video conferencing in facilities such as prisons, government hospitals, banks, Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL), etc. Shah also said that a system should be implemented where FIRs can be transferred between two states through the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS). He recommended that Maharashtra should adopt CCTNS 2.0 and ICJS 2.0.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation stated that the police should provide information about individuals held in custody for interrogation on an electronic dashboard. He emphasized on need to improve internet connectivity in police stations. Shah also said that the availability of forensic science mobile vans should be ensured in every police sub-division. Home Minister stressed the recruitment of forensic experts and urged the prompt filling of vacant positions in the forensic department.

Amit Shah urged the Maharashtra government to integrate state's fingerprint identification system with the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS). He also mentioned that the police should establish a system to return the property recovered from criminals to its rightful owner as per the provisions of the new criminal laws. He emphasized the importance of making police stations more aesthetically pleasing.

Union Home Minister stated that the Chief Minister of Maharashtra should conduct a bi-weekly review of the implementation of the new criminal laws in the state, while the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police should carry out a weekly review.