Mumbai: To improve conviction rates in criminal cases from the current 50% to 95%, the state has planned a detailed study of past cases to identify investigative loopholes and introduced a performance-based grading system in criminal investigation for district and city police units, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said.On Monday, Fadnavis, along with minister of state for home Pankaj Bhoyal (rural) and Yogesh Kadam (urban), additional chief secretary (home) Manisha Mahaiskar and principal secretary (special) Anup Kumar Singh, held a review meeting at the DGP headquarters in Mumbai with the state police chief Sadanand Date, Mumbai police commissioner Deven Bharti, police commissioners of other cities in the state, and many other senior officers. Fadnavis said, “The last 4-5 years’ cases will be analysed by using AI. In the cases where there was no conviction, the CID will study the reasons and loopholes with the help of AI. A detailed policy will be made so there will be no such gap in cases in future.”He said the use of modern technology in policing, end-to-end digitisation of criminal investigation and the justice process was essential. He also mentioned that a blockchain-based evidence management system.A senior officer said that many things were in place, but there were separate sections in the police, and those were being integrated, so that there was no need for physical intervention. The officer said there would be no possibility of tampering with papers, and everyone concerned would have the digital case papers ready on their computer.Fadnavis said he asked the DGP to digitise the entire process of criminal cases, from registration of an FIR to filing a chargesheet and conducting a trial, in the next six months. The CM said they were working towards reducing road accidents in the state.He said the Maoist insurgency in Gadchiroli and other places in the state had now been reduced to a negligible level, and announced that personnel who served in the C-60 force for at least three years would be awarded a special ‘C-60 Medal’ by the state govt.
