Key Points
HM Shah reviews criminal law implementation across multiple states
Emphasizes need for 90% conviction rates in serious cases
Recommends technology-driven legal tracking systems
Highlights importance of timely FIR registration
CM Abdullah said in a Union Territory the elected government is not responsible for implementing the law but indicated that it might play a role in raising awareness about the new law.
Before the review of the implementation of the new laws in Jammu and Kashmir, HM Shah had undertaken a similar exercise with regard to 11 states, he said, adding that there was no discussion on J&K’s security situation during the meeting.
Earlier on February 14, HM Shah chaired a review meeting on the implementation of three new criminal laws in Maharashtra, asking the state to establish a model Directorate of Prosecution system in line with the new laws.
In the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, HM Shah 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.
HM Shah said that the Narendra Modi government is committed to providing 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.
HM Shah emphasised that efforts should be made to achieve over 90 per cent conviction rate in cases with sentences of more than seven years and the police, government lawyers, and judiciary should work together to ensure that the guilty are punished as swiftly as possible.
The Home Minister reiterated that senior police officers should regularly monitor cases of organised 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, and Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL). HM 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.
