Mumbai, July 10: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday asserted that Maharashtra remains one of the safest states in the country, rejecting the Opposition's allegations of deteriorating law and order and citing National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data to back the government's performance.
Replying to the debate on the Opposition-sponsored last week's motion in the State Assembly, Fadnavis said Maharashtra ranks seventh in the country in terms of the crime rate per one lakh population. He said the state witnessed a decline in cases of assault, robbery, housebreaking and theft between May 2025 and May 2026.
The Chief Minister said the state's crime detection rate has improved to 82 per cent, while the conviction rate has increased from 44.2 per cent to 52.6 per cent. The government has set a target of raising the conviction rate to 70 per cent, he added.
Technology Boosts Policing
Highlighting the impact of the new criminal laws, Fadnavis said the investigation process has undergone a major transformation with the use of e-evidence, forensic investigation, blockchain technology and digital evidence management systems.
He added that the timely filing of charge sheets in serious offences has improved significantly and victims are recovering seized property more efficiently.
On women's and child safety, the Chief Minister said police have traced 93 per cent of women reported missing between 2021 and 2026. Under 'Operation Muskaan', 43,591 missing children have been rescued and reunited with their families during the same period.
Fadnavis said the state has intensified its fight against cybercrime, with authorities freezing Rs 439 crore linked to cyber fraud between January and June 2026. The proportion of frozen fraudulent funds has increased from 11 per cent to 27 per cent, while a mechanism has been introduced for the immediate refund of cyber fraud losses of up to Rs 50,000, benefiting thousands of victims.
He said the AI-powered investigation platform 'Tapas Sarathi' has been integrated with the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems (CCTNS), enabling faster investigations. The Chief Minister also urged citizens to exercise caution while downloading APK files, warning that they remain a major source of cyber fraud.
Police Modernisation Measures
Speaking on the anti-narcotics drive, Fadnavis said the state has taken action against international drug syndicates and seized large quantities of contraband. He announced that the chemical 'Bromo-4 Methyl Propiophenone', used in the manufacture of MD drugs, has been brought under the list of controlled substances to curb illegal production.
Under the 'Drug-Free Mumbai' campaign, over four lakh students have participated in awareness programmes, he said, adding that the government has decided to adopt a zero-tolerance policy under which police personnel found involved in drug-related offences will face direct dismissal from service.
On police modernisation, the Chief Minister said the Centre has approved a Rs 733-crore proposal to strengthen Maharashtra Police with advanced technologies, including drones, radar systems, speedboats and artificial intelligence-based tools.
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He also announced that construction of 9,762 police quarters is currently underway across the state, while 40,000 new residential units will be built for police personnel in Mumbai. In addition, 93 state-of-the-art police stations will be established. A high-level committee will also be constituted to examine the issue of providing ownership housing to police personnel and submit its report within three months, he said.
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