Bhubaneswar: National average of conviction rate is 57.%. And, still worse, the score of Odisha is 5. 7%. Did the National DGP conference, concluded recently, deliberated on this abysmal tract record of crimial justice administration of the country.
For the first time the All India DGP conference was held here in Odisha, last week. But there is no news whether the topic of criminal justice administration was in the agenda or not.
The National Crime Record Bureau report depics a picture of total collapse of criminal justice administration, specifically in Odisha, in India.
Conviction rate in criminal trials holds the key to State’s success in crime control and crime prevention. Even all India average of 57% in 2021 as revealed by NCRB data, it shows a poor picture when compared to conviction rates of Japan (99.3%), China (99.75%), Israel (72%), Russia 2018 (99%), United Kingdom 2017-18 (80%), or the USA (2012) (93%).
As per NCRB data, 2021, national conviction rate for offences under IPC 1860 ( BNS 2024) is 57%. For the same year, Mizoram achieved conviction rate of 96.70 %; Kerala, 86.5%; Maharashtra, 54.4%. Odisha’s achievements is 5.7 %.
Raising the issue of the abysmal picture of conviction rate in India, retired Odisha cadre senior IAS officer Prafulla Mishra has urged the union home minister in a letter to review the failure of the criminal justice administration of specifically Odisha, West Bengal, and Assam.
‘ What is the purpose behind Govt. spending lakhs of crores of Rupees on IPS training, police salary and police comforts (e.g. in Odisha, minimum 2 vehicles each and up to one dozen police staff working at residence) if 95% of criminals escape conviction in trial?’
He has quoted an infamous IPS officer of Odisha (He had been selected to serve in Vigilance and CBI for 19 years, & was made DGP Odisha for 10 months before retirement), “Police and Vigilance Police are honest and very efficient; they’re separating milk from water by thorough investigation; but judges, meaning Judicial Service Cadre officers, are acquitting criminals.”
Mishra, in his letter, has urged the union home minister Amit Saha to dig deep into the corruption which has become rampant in police investigation and also hear in closed conferences what Judicial Service Officers have to say.
