Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is rewriting the script on swift justice in Maharashtra through an audacious campaign against forensic backlogs. Guided by ‘Justice for All, Swift Justice,’ efforts target inefficiencies in the judicial pipeline, especially with new criminal laws demanding alacrity.
The Forensic Science Laboratories Directorate confronted 181,000 carryover cases in 2025, plus 294,000 newcomers. Fadnavis’s directive for a special drive culminated in disposing 396,879 files by late December, slashing pendency to 79,542—a 75% plunge.
Personnel stretched limits with dawn-to-dusk work and no holidays off, smashing capacity ceilings to clear 102,413 surplus cases. Standout performer: Conventional Forensic, wrapping 396,275 matters, now gearing for instant processing of new submissions from February 2026. Cyber, computer, and audio-video wings are matching this pace.
The ripple effects promise an end to protracted victim ordeals, cementing forensic labs’ pivotal role in agile justice. Fadnavis’s push includes rolling out mobile forensic vans statewide. This blueprint for efficiency is poised to redefine forensic justice, ensuring fairness with unprecedented speed.