No More 'Tarikh Pe Tarikh': Chandigarh Tops with 91% Convictions Under New Laws

One year since India’s new criminal laws came into force, Chandigarh Police have reported a 91.1% conviction rate—highlighting a dramatic transformation in the city’s criminal justice system.

Chandigarh was the first city in India to fully implement the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), replacing colonial-era codes from July 1, 2024.

According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur, convictions were secured in 71 out of 78 cases decided under the new laws, with an average conviction time of just 109 days—sharply down from the earlier average of 300 days.

Till June 29, a total of 3,154 FIRs have been registered under the new regime, including 1,459 e-FIRs. Charge sheets have already been filed in 758 of these cases.

“The era of endless delays—tarikh pe tarikh—is over,” said SSP Kaur, crediting the use of digital tools and streamlined investigation protocols. Key features include e-Sakshya, a digital platform that records and stores videography and photography of evidence with geo-tagging and hash values to ensure authenticity and prevent tampering.

Advanced crime scene response mechanisms have been set up with five dedicated CFSL teams and one standby unit working round-the-clock. These teams respond to all serious crimes, and 68 forensic experts, 22 IT specialists, and 14 analysts from the National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) have been recruited for scientific investigations.

Additional reforms include QR coding of seized properties to maintain a digital chain of custody, and the rollout of Nyay Setu, a dedicated platform integrating police data with the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS).
“The legal recognition of electronic evidence, CCTNS, ICJS platforms, and enhanced forensic capacity have strengthened both police and prosecution,” the SSP noted, adding that personnel were undergoing extensive training through the iGOT Karmayogi platform.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had acknowledged Chandigarh’s pioneering implementation of the new laws in December 2024. Earlier, Home Minister Amit Shah had launched key digital infrastructure to modernise India’s criminal justice system.

Also Read: Amit Shah Reviews Implementation of New Criminal Laws in Northeast