Haryana Tops India in New Criminal Laws Rollout: Saves Over ₹26 Crore Via E-Summons and Virtual Courts

In a landmark milestone for criminal justice digitization and administrative modernization, Haryana has emerged as the top-performing state across India on the central national dashboard for the implementation of the country's three revised criminal statutes—the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). Under the leadership of Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Director General of Police (DGP) Ajay Singhal, Haryana Police has transitioned its operational and legal infrastructure to align fully with the new legal codes, which took effect nationwide on July 1, 2024. The strategic shift toward digital processes has not only expedited court proceedings and enhanced trial transparency, but it has also yielded massive fiscal dividends, saving over ₹26.8 crore in administrative and transit fuel costs through e-summons deliveries and secure remote video conferencing.Digitization Drives Massive Savings: ₹25.65 Crore Fuel Cut via E-Summons & Virtual RemandsThe integration of smart judicial workflows has eliminated millions of kilometers of manual transit for state police personnel and undertrial prisoners:Massive Fuel Conservation Through E-Summons: Transitioning from traditional physical summons delivery to digital e-summons systems resulted in fuel savings valued at ₹25.65 crore within a six-month operational window.Jail-to-Court Virtual Hear-Ins: Implementing digital remand hearings and evidence recording via high-security video conferencing saved an additional ₹1.16 crore in government fuel expenses over seven months.High Virtual Court Appearance Rates: An impressive 81.78 percent of accused persons now appear before judicial magistrates through dedicated virtual booths, with video-conferencing rates for undertrials lodged in state prisons climbing to 84.49 percent.Police Officer Virtual Depositions: Around 70 percent of police investigating officers and official witnesses now deliver their legal testimonies via virtual cubicles, eliminating long-distance travel and keeping officers active in field duty.Rapid Zero-FIR Conversions: The state has instituted a weekly departmental audit mechanism to review all registered Zero FIRs, ensuring their formal conversion into regular jurisdiction-specific FIRs within a strict 48-hour deadline.Scientific Policing Leap: 99.2% Probe Logging on e-Evidence App & Expanded Forensic UnitsTo fulfill the rigorous evidentiary mandates set by the new criminal legal codes, Haryana Police has overhauled its forensic capabilities:Mandatory Scene-of-Crime Visits: Forensic crime units are now mandated to visit 100 percent of crime scenes involving offenses punishable by seven or more years of imprisonment, ensuring tamper-proof physical and digital trace collection.Record Logging via e-Evidence App: Approximately 99.2 percent of all forensic field investigations and evidence collections across the state are formally recorded and geo-tagged using the specialized e-Evidence mobile application.Tripling Laboratory Sanctioned Strength: The state government expanded the sanctioned strength of forensic specialists across regional Forensic Science Laboratories (FSL), scaling up posts from 351 to 1,044 personnel.Fleet of Mobile Forensic Vans: Every administrative district in Haryana has been equipped with at least one fully operational mobile forensic van, with administrative clearance recently granted for 17 additional mobile forensic units to cover rural subdivisions.Workforce Modernization: 56,000 Personnel Onboarded on iGOT & 2,145 VC Cubicles BuiltA targeted statewide training campaign has brought field personnel up to speed with modern procedural statutes:Comprehensive iGOT Training: Around 56,000 Haryana Police officers and constables enrolled on the government's central iGOT Karmayogi digital training portal to study the provisions of the new laws.AI-Powered Certification: More than 34,500 personnel have already completed the specialized AI-driven training modules, enabling seamless adoption of scientific evidence collection and digital charge-sheeting.Statewide Video Conferencing Infrastructure: The department has established 2,145 dedicated, high-speed video-conferencing cubicles across district courts, police stations, and correctional institutions to support real-time digital justice.