Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Sunday, said that increasing the crime conviction rate is essential for India’s development. “While moving towards a developed India, this conviction rate will have to be taken beyond 90 percent,” he said. The Chief Minister was speaking at the foundation stone-laying ceremony for the new administrative building of the the Regional Forensic Science Laboratory. Fadnavis underlined the importance of forensic science in proving crimes and delivering justice. He stated that Maharashtra now has the most advanced cyber forensic scientific system in the country. In addition to cyber laboratories, the State is also developing mobile forensic scientific labs and a cyber centre.

 

He explained that special efforts made since 2014 have increased the conviction rate in Maharashtra from just 9 percent to 54 per cent. “We have built a modern Cyber Forensic Laboratory and Mobile Forensic Science Laboratory. These have been brought under a corporation to improve operations further,” he added. The Chief Minister said that with the new Indian criminal laws, forensic evidence has become more important and is now mandatory in certain types of crimes. To make the justice process faster and more transparent, he announced that people-oriented and blockchain methods will be adopted in the functioning of forensic laboratories.

 

“This will speed up the process of proving crimes and ensure timely justice,” he said. He also directed the forensic department to clear all pending cases by the end of this year. Earlier in the event, Fadnavis inaugurated three major projects of the Home Department online - the second phase of laboratory computerisation, a semi-automated system in Mumbai and the Centre of Excellence in Pune. He expressed hope that the new laboratory building in Nagpur would be completed by February 2027 and called the foundation laying a matter of great satisfaction.

 

The ceremony was attended by Minister of State for Home (Rural) Dr Pankaj Bhoyar, MP Shyamkumar Barve, MLC Sandeep Joshi and MLA Dr Sanjay Meshram, Director General (Judicial and Technical) Sanjay Verma, Managing Director of Maharashtra State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation Archana Tyagi, and Director of the Directorate of Forensic Scientific Laboratories Dr Vijay Thakre. Dr Thakre gave the introductory remarks, and Deputy Director of the Regional Judicial Scientific Laboratory, Nagpur, Ashwin Gedam, delivered the vote of thanks.