Calls for provision of trial in absentia
*Imperative to change attitude of cops
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 18: Union Home Minister Amit Shah today said that following decline in terror activities and improvement in security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir, police should now prioritize safeguarding rights of its citizens and stressed for urgently using provision of trial in absentia in the UT.
Shah said this while addressing a high-level meeting on implementation of three new criminal laws in Jammu and Kashmir, held in New Delhi.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat represented Jammu and Kashmir in the meeting among others. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Director Generals of Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) and National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and other senior officials from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs joined the meeting.
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This was the first meeting chaired by Amit Shah during over four months of formation of political Government in Jammu and Kashmir which was attended by Omar Abdullah. In previous four meetings on review of security situation, the CM was not present as law and order in the Union Territory is directly controlled by the Central Government. However, Omar had three one-to-one meetings with Shah after taking oath as the Chief Minister.
“With decline in terror activities and improvement in security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, police should now prioritize safeguarding rights of the citizens. For full implementation of new laws, it is imperative to change attitude of the police personnel,” Shah said in his address.
He stressed for an urgent need to use the provision of trial in absentia in the Union Territory.
The Home Minister called for fixing responsibility of police officers to expedite the process of filing charge sheets.
Stressing that decisions on provisions related to terrorism and organized crime should be taken only after thorough scrutiny at the level of Superintendent of Police, Shah called for strict monitoring to ensure that these provisions under the new laws are not misused.
During the discussion in the meeting, the Home Minister asked the UT administration to ensure full implementation of the three new criminal laws by April 2025, an official statement issued after the meeting said.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively.
The new laws came into effect from July 1 last year.
The Home Minister said optimum use of technology should be made to ensure speedy justice under the three new criminal laws.
The meeting reviewed the implementation and present status of various new provisions related to police, prisons, courts, prosecution, and forensics in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Every Police Station in Jammu and Kashmir should put the maximum use of the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) into practice,” Shah said.
He added that a 100 per cent training of investigating officers about the provisions of the new laws should be ensured, and at the earliest.
Shah said the Jammu and Kashmir administration and government have done satisfactory work towards the implementation of the new criminal laws despite difficult circumstances.
He said 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.
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