Union Minister reviews status of GoI schemes in Legal Services; says pleased with low crime rates in Meghalaya
Addressing media persons after the meeting, the Union Minister revealed that his presence is as per the direction of the Prime Minister of India to visit Northeastern states "to take account of the proper implementation of schemes of the Government of India... and to review the activities of the department which relates to your Ministry".
Union Minister of State for Law and Justice S. P. Singh Baghel on Wednesday interacted with the Meghalaya State Legal Service Authority and the Bar Council in Shillong during his visit to the state.
Addressing media persons after the meeting, the Union Minister revealed that his presence is as per the direction of the Prime Minister of India to visit Northeastern states "to take account of the proper implementation of schemes of the Government of India... and to review the activities of the department which relates to your Ministry".
While speaking with the representative of the State Legal Service Authority, the Minister said that he has come to learn about the nature of the legal services in the state and how the judiciary functions in Meghalaya. He especially noted the low rates of crime, especially of dowry cases, in the state.
He further said the Government of India has allocated funds for construction of court rooms in the ratio of 60:40 with the state government, which he is tasked with reviewing.
He was shocked to learn that there has been no case of police denying to register a first information report (FIR) of an aggrieved person and as such there has been no use 156 (3) of the Cr.P.C., unlike in states such as Uttar Pradesh, where citizens are forced to approach the courts for the same.
Baghel, however, expressed concern about rising narcotics trends in Meghalaya and recommended better equipping forensic science labs in order to increase the rate of convictions, but ensuring fast acquittals of innocents, in such cases.
Regarding crimes against women and children, he mentioned the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, and its usefulness, when supplemented by scientific evidence, in delivering justice. However, he added that the problem of delay in verdicts, in general, required greater cumulative efforts to overcome.
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