Daijiworld Media Network – Panaji

Panaji, Jul 11: In a significant move aimed at strengthening the justice delivery system, the Goa government on Thursday constituted an Independent Review Authority to examine and enhance the quality of evidence gathered during criminal investigations. The new body will evaluate whether the available evidence is sufficient for prosecution and provide recommendations accordingly.

The state’s home department stated that this decision follows concerns over Goa’s average conviction rate of 64% over the past two years, despite the registration of over 5,000 criminal cases during the period.

Data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), released in December 2023, had painted a grim picture for 2022 — only 452 persons were convicted under various IPC sections in Goa, while 1,283 were acquitted, drawing criticism from various quarters.

In response, the Goa Police launched a drive to improve investigative skills, initiating training programmes for officers. The Police Training School has been tasked with designing relevant modules, and the Directorate of Prosecution has proposed several measures to upgrade the expertise of investigating officers.

The issue was also raised during the last monsoon session of the Goa Assembly, with opposition MLAs expressing concern over the low conviction rate. In reply, Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant claimed significant improvement, stating that the conviction rate rose to 33% in 2023, up from 16% the previous year.

He also highlighted that crime rate in the state fell by 22%, and the detection rate touched an impressive 90% in 2023 — a sign of progress towards better law enforcement.

With the newly formed review authority now in place, the government aims to ensure that only well-prepared, evidence-backed cases are taken up for prosecution, thereby increasing the chances of convictions and improving public trust in Goa’s justice system.