To get rid of the dubious distinction of being a state with one of the lowest conviction rates in the country, Maharashtra government has decided to take several steps.
"The state cabinet has accepted the proposals of the high-level committee set up on the issue," Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told both the Houses of state legislature here today.
The committee was headed by the then additional chief secretary, Amitabh Rajan. It had been asked to prepare a report in 2013 after the state's conviction rate fell to 9.4 per cent in 2012.
Its 18 major proposals to be adopted include making a separate confidential report of senior police officers if the conviction rate in their jurisdiction falls below a certain level.
Government lawyers will not be appointed as prosecutors by the law and judiciary department, but by the directorate of prosecution which would be autonomous. This will ensure that political considerations do not have any place in the appointments, says the report.
The government lawyers whose success rate is below 25 per cent would not be considered for promotion, the Chief Minister said.
On the other hand, a police officer who secures a good conviction rate would get 'Chief Minister's medal'.
The committee was set up after the state government realised that Bihar, Odisha and Assam had higher conviction rates in 2012. Bihar had 15.9 per cent, Odisha 11 per cent and Assam 10.6 per cent conviction rate.
