Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a review meeting on the implementation of three new criminal laws in Jammu and Kashmir, in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The meeting reviewed the implementation and present status of various new provisions related to police, prisons, courts, prosecution, and forensics in Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by the Union Home Secretary, Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir, the Director General of the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD), the Director General of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), and other senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the UT administration.
During the discussion in the meeting, Home Minister Shah asked the UT administration to ensure full implementation of the three new criminal laws, made under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Jammu and Kashmir by April 2025. He said that optimum use of technology should be made to ensure speedy justice under the three new criminal laws.
The Home Minister said that for the full implementation of the new laws, it is imperative to change the attitude of the police personnel and the administration and create awareness about the new laws among the citizens.
He stated that with a decline in terror activities and improvement in security scenarios in Jammu and Kashmir, the police should now prioritise safeguarding the rights of its citizens. HM Shah added that there is an urgent need to use the provision of Trial in Absentia in the union territory.
The Home Minister stressed the need to fix the responsibility of police officers to expedite the process of filing chargesheets. He said that every police station in Jammu and Kashmir should put the maximum use of the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) into practice.
He said that 100 per cent training of investigating officers regarding the provisions of the new laws should be ensured, at the earliest. HM Shah said that decisions on provisions related to terrorism and organised crime should be taken only after thorough scrutiny at the level of the Superintendent of Police. He added that strict monitoring is required to ensure that these provisions under the new laws are not misused.
The Home Minister said that the Jammu and Kashmir administration and government have done satisfactory work towards the implementation of the new criminal laws despite difficult circumstances. He said that the progress of implementation of the three new laws in Jammu and Kashmir should be reviewed on a monthly, fortnightly and weekly basis at the level of the Chief Minister, Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, respectively.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who attended the meeting, later said that some weak areas were pointed out as needing immediate attention.
He said in a Union Territory the elected government is not responsible for implementing the law but indicated that it might play a role in raising awareness about the new law.
BJP sweeps Gujarat local body polls, PM Modi calls it a ‘victory for development’
The ruling BJP has once again reinforced its dominance in Gujarat by sweeping the local body elections and securing a decisive victory in the Junagadh Municipal Corporation (JMC).
Drugs valued at Rs 42 crore seized in Mizoram & Assam
The security personnel in Mizoram and Assam have seized highly addictive methamphetamine tablets valued at Rs 42 crore and arrested three drug peddlers including two Myanmar nationals during the past 24 hours, officials said on Tuesday.
India-UAE bilateral trade doubles to $83.7 billion in two years after signing economic pact
The India-United Arab Emirates (UAE) comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) signed on 18th February 2022 completed three successful years on Tuesday which saw bilateral trade nearly doubling from $43.3 billion in FY 2020-21 to $83.7 billion in 2023-24, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said on Tuesday.
Tripura govt aims 80 pc irrigation coverage to boost agriculture: CM Saha
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Tuesday that the state government has set a target of achieving 80 per cent irrigation coverage of cultivable land in the next few years.
US to deport illegal migrants from India to Costa Rica
The Central American country of Costa Rica has agreed to accept illegal Indian migrants deported from the US, creating a bridge for working out their eventual fate.
Want to increase and diversify India-Qatar trade linkages, says PM Modi after 'productive' talks with 'brother' Sheikh Al Thani
As they announced to elevate the ties to a strategic partnership, India and Qatar on Tuesday also expressed happiness at the signing of the revised Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement and expediting negotiations on the India-Qatar Bilateral Investment Treaty.
Russia and US to appoint ambassadors, announce negotiating teams to end conflict in Ukraine
Russia and the United States will soon announce teams to negotiate a path to ending the war in Ukraine besides also ensuring the "earliest possible appointment" of ambassadors in both Moscow and Washington.
Biplab chairs DISHA meeting says CPI(M) an endangered species
Former Tripura Chief Minister and Lok Sabha MP Biplab Kumar Deb has criticized the CPI(M), calling it an ‘endangered species’ that will soon lose all its seats due to its undemocratic approach.