Bharatpol will help catch Indian criminals hiding abroad: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said modern systems introduced under the three new criminal laws and technological interventions like Bharatpol will enable law enforcement agencies to bring fugitives who have escaped abroad after committing crimes in India to justice.

Speaking at the launch of a new portal Bharatpol developed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to make swift coordination with Indian agencies on Interpol-related issues, Shah said the Modi government has introduced the provision of 'Trial in Absentia' in the three new criminal laws, enabling the prosecution of fugitive criminals even in their absence through court orders while ensuring a fair judicial process.

He said this provision would simplify the process of extraditing convicted criminals from foreign countries to India.

"Combined with the capabilities of the Bharatpol portal, this new measure will empower the Indian law enforcement agencies to bring fugitives to justice, no matter where they hide," Shah said.

Bharatpol will bring all central and state law enforcement agencies on a common portal, streamlining the processing of all requests for international assistance through Interpol, including the issuance of Red Notices and other colour-coded Interpol notices.

"In the past, criminals based abroad have committed crimes in India and remained out of reach of our laws. Some criminals have committed crimes in India and escaped.

"Time has come for us to use modern systems to bring under our legal net the criminals committing a crime from abroad and fugitives who have escaped from the country after committing a crime here," Shah said.

The home minister urged the CBI to take the lead in ensuring its widespread training at the grassroots level which will strengthen the judicial system, enhance transparency and improve the overall efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement efforts.

Noting that the Bharatpol will assist state police forces by facilitating collaboration with law enforcement agencies (LEAs) in 195 countries through real-time information sharing on such crimes, Shah asked the CBI to raise awareness among law enforcement agencies about Interpol notices and institutionalising this system rather than leaving it on an individual officer.

He said the new system has the transformative potential to address crimes such as drug trafficking, arms smuggling, human trafficking and cross-border terrorism.

Shah pointed out that one of the key benefits will be access to 19 types of Interpol databases to state LEA, enabling young officers to analyse data, develop crime prevention strategies and apprehend criminals more effectively.

The home minister also distributed Police Medals to 35 CBI officers and officials who have been awarded the President's Police Medals for Distinguished Service and the Union Home Minister's Medal for Excellence in Investigation.

Among the recipients was former CBI joint director Amit Kumar, now posted as Chhattisgarh Police ADG, who led the probe into the coal scam that resulted in convictions in a number of cases. Kumar was selected for the coveted President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service on the occasion of Republic Day last year.

Joint Director Vidya Jayant Kulkarni, who supervised the investigation into the disproportionate assets case against former Telecom minister A Raja, among other cases, and DIG Jagroop S Gusinha, who supervised the investigation into the killing of Dhanbad judge Uttam Anand, ASP Mayukh Maitra, ASI Subhash Chandra and Head Constable Sreenivasan Illikkal Bahuleyan also received the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service from the Home Minister.

As the National Central Bureau for Interpol in India, the CBI is a designated body to facilitate international cooperation with Interpol on criminal cases in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies nationwide. The CBI coordinates with the central, state and Union Territory LEAs through dedicated officers in these forces known as Interpol liaison officers (ILOs).

These ILOs work in conjunction with unit officers (UOs), who typically hold positions such as superintendents of police, police commissioners or branch chiefs within their respective organisations.

Currently, communication between the CBI, ILOs and UOs is primarily conducted through time-consuming traditional methods, including letters, emails and faxes, which have now been done away with in Bharatpol.

The portal has built-in templates and a wizard that will also allow ground-level officers to draft Interpol-related requests in conformity with the requirements of the global body.

"A lot of times, state police officers sent requests with terminology not used in the Interpol. This portal has in-built templates to curb that practice, which will minimize time wasted on such to-and-fro communication," an official said.

The system was needed with the growing prevalence of transnational crimes like cybercrime, online radicalisation, drug trafficking and human trafficking that necessitate rapid and real-time international assistance in criminal investigations.

In the last three years, the CBI has brought back around 100 fugitives from abroad, which was approximately the total number of absconders brought in the last 20 years, a senior official said.

Inputs from PTI