Union Home Minister: The Gujarat government has made an impressive achievement by converting all Zero FIRs into fully regular FIRs.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, chaired a review meeting in New Delhi today to assess the implementation of the three new criminal laws in Gujarat. The meeting, attended by Gujarat’s Chief Minister, Shri Bhupendra Patel, focused on the current status and implementation of various provisions related to police, jails, courts, prosecution, and forensics in Gujarat. Also present were Gujarat’s Minister of State for Home, Union Home Secretary, Gujarat’s Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, Director General of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), and several senior officials from the Union Home Ministry and the State Government.
During the meeting, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, emphasized that the core purpose of the three new criminal laws introduced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is to ensure justice is delivered within three years, from the filing of an FIR to the Supreme Court’s verdict. He commended the Gujarat government’s progress in implementing these laws and urged them to ensure full implementation across all commissionerates by April 30, 2025, and throughout the entire state as soon as possible. Regular reviews of the implementation should be conducted, with the Chief Minister overseeing monthly reviews, the State Home Minister overseeing bi-weekly reviews, and the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary (Home), and Director General of Police conducting weekly reviews.
Shri Amit Shah noted that Gujarat had successfully filed charge sheets on time in over 92% of cases involving sentences of more than 10 years and called for a review of the remaining cases to ensure that the provision allowing court permission is used effectively. He praised Gujarat for successfully converting Zero FIRs into 100% regular FIRs and urged the establishment of a system for transferring FIRs between states using the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), as well as the adoption of CCTNS 2.0 in the state.
On the matter of electronic evidence in the new laws, the Home Minister recommended that Gujarat’s Home and Health Departments collaborate to ensure electronic submission of post-mortem and other medical reports. He also called for the creation of a system for recording evidence through video conferencing in prisons, hospitals, banks, forensic science labs, and other locations, with video conferencing facilities in every court within prisons.
Shri Shah further directed the police to provide details of detainees for questioning, along with seizure lists and cases to be forwarded to courts, on the electronic dashboard. He also instructed the state’s Director General of Police to monitor these cases continuously and called for an increase in the network connectivity speed at police stations to 30 mbps, exceeding the prescribed standards.
The Home Minister emphasized that the state government should issue circulars to prevent misuse of provisions related to organized crime, terrorism, and mob lynching, and to ensure that permissions for such cases are granted only from the highest level. He also discussed the provision for Trial in Absentia under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), highlighting its importance for prosecuting fugitives evading justice, particularly in national security-related cases.
Additionally, Shri Amit Shah called for at least two forensic science mobile vans in each district, with all 12 forensic kits in these vans to be manufactured in India. He suggested that other states should adopt Gujarat’s Forensic Crime Manager initiative and urged a special campaign to clear pending forensic cases. Recognizing the importance of forensic experts, he called for the immediate recruitment of vacant positions in the forensic department.
The Union Home Minister highlighted that on January 22, 2025, the Gujarat High Court issued directives for all subordinate courts to implement electronic processes, a commendable step. He encouraged other states to follow suit in this regard. Shri Shah also urged the swift recruitment of staff for vacant positions in the Directorate of Prosecution. Additionally, he emphasized the importance of including judicial officers in training programs, with sessions to be organized in collaboration with Judicial Academies.