Conviction rate to touch 80% after full rollout of new criminal laws: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said the country’s conviction rate in criminal cases is expected to rise to nearly 80 per cent once the three new criminal laws are fully implemented in the coming years, citing major procedural and technological reforms introduced under the new legal framework.

Addressing the 79th Raising Day Parade of Delhi Police , Shah said the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) are designed to ensure faster investigations, time-bound trials and stronger evidence-based prosecution, which together would substantially improve conviction rates.

Explaining the changes, the home minister said the new laws mandate strict timelines for investigation and filing of charge sheets, expand the use of forensic science in criminal probes, and make digital and electronic evidence legally robust. Provisions for videography of crime scenes, recording of statements through electronic means, and greater reliance on scientific evidence are expected to reduce procedural delays and loopholes that often weaken cases in courts. He added that victim-centric provisions and simplified procedures would also strengthen the delivery of justice.

Shah said the new justice-based laws, which replaced the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act with effect from July 1, 2024, mark one of the most significant reforms undertaken in the last 11 years and would enhance both the speed of case disposal and the certainty of punishment.

The home minister also said the fight against Maoist violence has reached its final phase and expressed confidence that the problem would be eradicated by March this year.

During the event, Shah launched several new initiatives of the Delhi Police, including an integrated headquarters for the Special Cell and the first phase of the Safe City project. Under the project, 2,100 of the proposed 10,000 AI-enabled CCTV cameras have been connected to the surveillance network so far, along with the integration of 15,000 existing cameras.