UP has overcome period marked by lawlessness riots curfews UP CM Adityanath

    Lucknow, Nov 5 (PTI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday that Uttar Pradesh had transformed from a state once counted among the country's bottom five economically to one of the top three, claiming that reforms undertaken over the past nine years had improved its law and order and governance.

     Addressing an appointment letter distribution programme for 28 newly selected scientific officers, the chief minister said the state had overcome a period marked by lawlessness, riots and curfews.

     "There was a time when criminals moved around fearlessly because they knew they would never be punished. They had no respect for the law as they knew they could never be brought within its ambit," he said.

     "The period of administrative inaction and lawlessness had pushed Uttar Pradesh into the category of a BIMARU state. But after we began reforms in every sector, the results were before everyone. Today, whenever law and order is discussed in the country, Uttar Pradesh is also discussed," he said.

     The chief minister said the recruitment of more than 2.3 lakh police personnel over the past nine-and-a-half years had been carried out with complete transparency and integrity. Emphasising the importance of forensic evidence in criminal investigations, the chief minister said truth could prevail in courts only when investigators presented credible evidence.

     "Justice in the temple of justice will be possible only when you have the necessary evidence and proof," he said, invoking the ancient Indian philosopher Maharshi Gautama's four principles of evidence: direct perception, inference, comparison and verbal testimony.

     Adityanath said the three new criminal laws implemented in July 2024 had made forensic evidence mandatory in offences punishable with imprisonment of seven years or more. He said against an initial requirement of 500 personnel trained in forensic evidence collection, the state had trained more than 600 police personnel.

     The chief minister said the state established its forensic science institute in Lucknow before implementing the new laws. He said the government has provided two forensic mobile vans to every district and established new laboratories to strengthen investigations.

     Urging the newly appointed officers to maintain the highest standards of integrity, he said, "You should ensure that every piece of forensic evidence is collected with complete accuracy and within a stipulated timeframe so that victims get justice and the guilty are punished."

     The chief minister said the government had provided jobs to more than 9.5 lakh youths over the past nine-and-a-half years and planned to distribute one lakh appointment letters in the next six months.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)