Age of third-degree torture over, Amit Shah tells police

New Delhi: Home minister Amit Shah has asked the police and investigating agencies to further improve and rely more on scientific and forensic evidence to prepare foolproof cases against criminals so as to further improve the conviction rate in criminal cases, which he described as “very pitiful”.

Even in the past, many security experts have expressed concern over the gap between the workout percentage and conviction rate of the police.

The home minister stressed on the need for providing strong evidence to back the chargesheet in criminal cases which would leave little room for defence lawyers and in turn help improve the conviction rate. While expressing concern over the low conviction ratio, Mr Shah said that in today’s times this cannot continue and needs to be corrected, which can only be done by supporting a case with strong forensic evidence.

The days of old police techniques of relying more on “third degree or phone tapping” are not adequate now to ensure better investigation and conviction, he said.

Mr Shah, while addressing the police top brass at an event in the capital, described better forensic evidence as the “need of the hour.” He said the government was already considering a proposal to make strong forensic evidence mandatory in all criminal cases where punishment was seven years or more.

Mr Shah directed the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) to prepare a detailed plan in this regard for investigative agencies of both the Centre and states.