Vice Chief Minister Vijay Sharma Holds High-Level Review Meeting to Strengthen CCTNS

Vice Chief Minister Vijay Sharma and Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal held a high-level review meeting of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and System (CCTNS) in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on Tuesday to ensure effective implementation of the New Indian Penal Code and to make the justice process technology-based, simple and speedy. The meeting discussed practical challenges in CCTNS operations, integration of various digital modules and ways to make the judicial and police system more effective. Vice Chief Minister Sharma said that digitising and time-bound handling of crime analysis, evidence collection, court procedures and inter-departmental coordination as per the New Indian Penal Code is a priority of the state government. He directed that each stage of the justice process through CCTNS be made smoother, more transparent and citizen-friendly. Emphasis was placed on the effective operation of all digital modules from e-FIR to e-forensic. The meeting covered e-FIR, e-challan, e-evidence, Medilap, e-prison, e-forensic, CIS, Nyay Shruti and other digital systems and discussed their integration with CCTNS. The Vice Chief Minister instructed officials to coordinate these modules to speed up and make the justice process more transparent, providing rapid justice to citizens. A special training campaign on e-evidence will be conducted in all districts. Sharma said the importance of digital evidence is constantly growing and directed that police officers and staff in all districts receive extensive training on the e-evidence system to ensure efficient collection, preservation and courtroom presentation. The Nyay Shruti system will be launched soon; officials were asked to prepare IDs for all judges through the High Court and go-live the system as quickly as possible. E-signing pads will be provided to all police stations in the Durg, Bilaspur and Raipur commissionerates and two stations in each district by the end of the month, simplifying digital signatures for complainants and enabling online document execution. The five pillars of the Interoperable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) will be strengthened, improving coordination among police, courts, prisons, forensic labs and prosecution. Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal assured full cooperation to accelerate medical examination and reporting, directing the health department to link all district hospitals with the Medilap system, appoint nodal officers in each district and conduct training. The Vice Chief Minister instructed that the system be fully operational within three to four months. The Vice Chief Minister also told National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) officials to coordinate with the National Informatics Centre (NIC) to resolve technical issues during onboarding, ensuring uninterrupted CCTNS services. Private hospitals will also be gradually linked to CCTNS, speeding up exchange of medical evidence and enhancing the judicial process. The meeting also directed the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to finalize standard operating procedures, set investigation timelines and expedite recruitment of forensic experts, aiming to reduce pending cases. Senior officials including Principal Secretary Niharika Barik Singh, Principal Secretary Sushma Sawant, Secretary Himshikhar Gupta, Police Inspector General Dhruv Gupta, NCRB and senior CCTNS officials attended virtually from Delhi along with senior state officials.