GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday, September 3, said the state’s criminal conviction rate has increased significantly over the last five years, rising from just 7% in 2021 to 29% this year.
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Sarma made the statement while addressing a press briefing at the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Dergaon following the conclusion of the two-day Superintendent of Police (SP) conference.
During the briefing, the Chief Minister said Assam has achieved “unprecedented success” in crime investigation and in the submission of chargesheets before courts. He attributed the improvement in the conviction rate to better investigation and faster completion of cases.
However, Sarma said the state is not stopping at the current level and has set a target of taking the conviction rate to 35%.
“The conviction rate has increased to 29% this year, and we aim to raise it to 35%. Back in 2021, the conviction rate was just 7%. We have managed to raise it from 7% to nearly 30%, and this year we want to push it further up to 35%,” CM Sarma told the media.
A conviction rate refers to the percentage of completed criminal cases or prosecutions that result in a guilty verdict or a guilty plea.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the progress made by the Assam Police in submitting chargesheets within the stipulated period.
“Currently, we are submitting chargesheets to the court for 80% of registered cases within the stipulated 60-day and 90-day timeframes,” Sarma said.
A chargesheet is a formal document prepared and submitted to a court by the police or another investigating agency after completing an investigation into a criminal case.
The two-day SP conference in Dergaon focused on strengthening law and order, improving crime investigation and reducing the occurrence of crime across Assam. Senior police officials from across the state participated in discussions on policing and crime prevention.