Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday that the state will fully implement the new criminal laws within the next six months. This statement followed a review meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the North Block to discuss the progress of implementing these reforms.
Addressing the media, Fadnavis highlighted that Maharashtra has already made significant progress in the rollout of the new laws. He mentioned that 27 vans have been deployed to improve forensic infrastructure, specifically for handling cases that are older than seven years. In addition, the state has set up online systems for courts, but under the new provisions, it is required to establish dedicated cubicles in courts and forensic labs for a more streamlined process.
Fadnavis also noted that 90 percent of Maharashtra’s police force, which consists of around 200,000 personnel, has already received training to implement the new laws effectively.
“Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a review meeting on the three new criminal laws. He reviewed the progress on the new provisions. On behalf of the Maharashtra government, we informed him that 27 forensic vans have been deployed for cases older than seven years. We’ve established online systems for courts, but as per the new laws, dedicated and designated cubicles need to be set up in courts and forensic labs. We are working on this, and it will be completed in the next six months,” said Fadnavis.
He added that the new system will allow court cases to be heard via videoconferencing, meaning that accused individuals will no longer need to be physically present in court repeatedly. “It was a productive meeting, and we are on track to roll out the new laws completely within the next six months,” Fadnavis concluded.
The new criminal laws come under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023. These laws were conceived with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to replace colonial-era laws that remained in place after independence, with a focus on judicial reform. The new framework aims to shift the emphasis from punishment to justice.
Implemented nationwide on July 1, 2024, these laws seek to modernize India’s legal system, making it more transparent, efficient, and responsive to contemporary challenges. The reforms are designed to address issues like cybercrime, organized crime, and provide better justice for victims of various offenses.
Chandigarh was the first city to fully implement the new criminal laws, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
