Using citizens to curb crime

In the ongoing Rajya Sabha session, replying to a discussion on the working of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Union Home Minister stated that the three new criminal laws - Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam 2023 - once fully implemented, will improve conviction rates to match or even surpass those of leading nations.

- 

The verb 'investigate' and its inflections appear many times in a newspaper on any given day, in various contexts including crime, fraud and journalism. Many investigators work in silos, with a dream of discovering the truth. At times, success comes with great difficulty, but often, the complete truth remains uncovered for want of key connections or crucial pieces of information.

In India, the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 16,000 serious crimes daily in 2022 - including 1,200 crimes against women and 445 against children. The conviction rate, which stood at 54.2 per cent in 2022, has been a concern, declining from 57 per cent in 2021 and 59.2 per cent in 2020. When crimes occur, the burden of investigation falls entirely on the police department. However, if the public cooperates, the collection of evidence becomes easier, leading to improved law and order. For example, the conviction rate was 80 per cent in Britain and 90 per cent in the USA, largely due to higher public participation in crime reporting and providing evidence.