Lucknow: In a strong assertion of its zero-tolerance policy towards crime, Yogi govt ensured convictions of over 15,000 criminals in one year through its ‘Operation Conviction’ campaign. The initiative, aimed at fast-tracking justice in heinous crimes, resulted in punishments for offenders involved in murder, rape, dacoity, loot, kidnapping and crimes under Pocso Act.Launched a year ago on the CM’s directive, the campaign identified 47,149 serious criminal cases across the state. Of these, 19,584 were disposed of in courts, resulting in 15,641 convictions.According to director general of prosecution, Deepesh Juneja, the highest number of convictions was recorded under the Pocso Act and rape cases, where 6,075 criminals were sentenced out of 9,140 decided cases, achieving a conviction rate of 66.46%.In murder cases, 3,411 convicts were punished out of 4,137 trials, with a conviction rate of 82.45%. Similarly, 174 convicts were punished in dacoity cases (out of 203 trials) – an 85.71% conviction rate. 740 criminals were convicted in loot cases (out of 780 trials) – a 94.87% conviction rate. 5,175 convicts were sentenced in theft and burglary cases (out of 5,246 trials) – a 98.64% conviction rate. 66 offenders were punished in kidnapping cases (out of 78 trials) – an 84.61% conviction rate.“Operation Conviction is more than a campaign; it represents a renewed rule of law in Uttar Pradesh, making the state safer for its citizens,” said Juneja. To expedite trials, govt deployed advanced technological tools, including the e-prosecution portal, case tracking system, and virtual court hearings. Prosecution officers at the district level were trained to review cases swiftly, ensuring that criminals do not escape conviction due to technical lapses.
