New laws to ensure justice within 3 years: Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that to further strengthen the Delhi Police, the e-foundation stone laying of the Special Cell’s integrated headquarters was carried out.

Built at a cost of about Rs 368 crore, the new complex will become the country’s most modern centre for tackling narcotics and terrorism. He also announced that foundation stones for 10 New Delhi Police projects were laid, and the first phase of the Safe City Project, built at a cost of around Rs 857 crore, was inaugurated.

Addressing the 79th Raising Day parade of Delhi Police at the Parade Ground in New Police Lines, Shah said the Safe City Project includes a modern Integrated Command, Control, Communication and Computer Centre (C4I). He said the C4I centre has been dedicated to the people of Delhi and will improve surveillance, response time, and coordination among different units.

Shah also spoke at length about the three new criminal laws and their impact on the justice system. He said that after full implementation of the new laws, the conviction rate in criminal cases across the country will rise to 80 per cent. He expressed confidence that within two years, once the system stabilises, any FIR filed in the country will reach a final decision up to the Supreme Court within three years.

The three laws: the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) replaced the IPC, CrPC, and the Indian Evidence Act on July 1, 2024.

He said a separate chapter has been added for crimes against women and children. Provisions such as e-FIR and Zero FIR now have legal backing. Forensic visits have been made mandatory in cases where the punishment is more than seven years. The laws also provide for trial in absentia for fugitives who flee the country. Properties of declared offenders living abroad can now be attached.

Shah said community service has been introduced as a punishment for minor offences. He also said that the fight against Maoist violence is in its final phase and expressed confidence that it will end by March 2026.

The Commissioner of Police, Satish Golchha, present at the event, highlighted Delhi Police’s achievements over the past year. Golchha said that in 2025, Delhi Police seized 6,144 kg of narcotic drugs. Forty-four properties linked to drug trafficking were seized. Out of these, 29 were demolished after due legal process. A dedicated MCOCA Cell has been set up in the Crime Branch to deal with organised crime. Two fugitives were deported in 2025, while 32 others hiding abroad are being pursued.

In the cybercrime domain, Delhi Police became the first in the country in May 2025 to start automatic registration of financial cybercrime cases involving more than Rs 10 lakh. In November 2025, the threshold was reduced to Rs 1 lakh. Such cases are now registered directly at the police station level.

Under Operation CyHawk, conducted in three phases over the past three months, 18,000 suspects were apprehended. Out of them, 3,000 were arrested or bound down. The Commissioner also mentioned that 83 police personnel were injured in the line of duty in the past year.

Crime data shared at the event showed that heinous crimes fell by 8 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024. Robbery declined by 12 per cent, snatching by 17 per cent, burglary by 26 per cent, and extortion by 7 per cent.

The event also marked the unveiling of a 32-foot-tall 3D portrait of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at the Police Headquarters on Jai Singh Road. A new digital platform for Police Clearance Certificates and Character Verification Reports was also launched. The system allows verification by the Special Branch and delivery of certificates by email within 21 days.