Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday (July 4, 2026) announced plans to set up 100 Fast Track Courts (FTCs) in the State. He said this while addressing the two-day state-level conference on “New Criminal Laws” organised in Bodh Gaya. Mr. Choudhary said action will be taken to establish 100 FTCs to resolve and control crime cases promptly.

The Chief Minister asserted that the State’s judiciary, police, and administration bear the major responsibility in delivering justice to a population of over 14 crores representing approximately 10% of the country’s total population.

“Bihar has always been defined by the ethos of ‘development with justice’. The 100 fast-track courts would be established to ensure the speedy disposal of crime-related cases. The work proceeds effectively when the judiciary and the executive act as partners. Justice becomes truly meaningful only when public trust in the judicial system is strengthened; this requires better coordination among the judiciary, the police, and the executive,” Mr. Choudhary said.

He called for regular coordination meetings between the government and the judiciary to enhance the effectiveness of investigation, prosecution, and judicial processes. He asserted that implementing the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) with a citizen-centric approach is the need of the hour.

Mr. Choudhdary pointed out that the effective implementation of these new laws requires the maximum use of technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI). He added that modern technology will play a crucial role in crime control, surveillance, and ensuring speedy justice.

The Chief Minister mentioned that the State government is providing police stations with modern resources, CCTV systems, digital tools, and scientific investigation facilities. He also said that through the ‘112’ emergency service, the police currently reach the scene of an incident in an average of 10 minutes, and a target has been set to reduce this time to 7 to 8 minutes.

He asserted that the government would provide all necessary resources to further strengthen speedy trials, fast-track courts, and the time-bound justice system.

“Through the collective efforts of the judiciary, police, and administration, the proper use of modern technology, and the effective implementation of the new criminal laws, the rule of law in Bihar will be further strengthened, enabling the state to achieve new milestones in development, prosperity, and good governance,” Mr. Choudhary said.

The conference was also addressed by Supreme Court Judges Justice N. Kotiswar Singh and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, Patna High Court Chief Justice Meenakshi Madan Rai and Chairman of the Bihar Judicial Academy Justice Rajiv Ranjan Prasad.

The conference was jointly organised by the Bihar Institute of Public Administration and Rural Development (BIPARD) and the Bihar Judicial Academy over the effective and uniform implementation of the new laws across the state and on strengthening mutual coordination within the justice delivery system.

More than three months after Akash Delison, 26, died following alleged custodial torture by the police, his family on Monday (June 15, 2026) refused to receive his body from the mortuary of the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai, despite a 5 p.m. deadline set by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.

Earlier in the day, Justice L. Victoria Gowri directed A. Rajeshkannan, the father of the deceased who belonged to the Scheduled Caste, to receive the body by 5 p.m., adding that otherwise, the State would be directed to take steps to dispose of it. The judge posted the matter for compliance to June 16.

Delison, who was allegedly tortured in custody at Manamadurai in Sivaganga district, died while undergoing treatment at the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai on March 8. His family refused to accept his body, demanding the arrest of all the policemen involved in the incident.

Recently, the court disposed of Mr. Rajeshkannan’s petition for a direction to the government to register a criminal case for the murder, arising out of the alleged custodial torture, under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with the relevant provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The court directed the CB-CID to expeditiously conclude the investigation and file the final report before the jurisdictional court. It also appreciated Manamadurai Judicial Magistrate M. Afzal Fathima, whose remand proceedings ensured the preservation of a crucial contemporaneous account that now forms part of the investigative record.

The remand report revealed that, instead of mechanically authorising judicial custody, the Judicial Magistrate visited the Government Sivaganga Medical College and Hospital, identified Delison, an accused in an assault case, through the duty doctor, interacted with him, noticed the injury to his right leg, elicited from him the circumstances that led to the injury, and recorded the allegations made by him about custodial torture and ill-treatment, the court said.

The Judicial Magistrate also recorded Delison’s explanation for the scratches found on his body, and noted the complaint of torture made against police personnel, the court said.

Delison and his acquaintance Guna were picked up in an assault case on March 5. While the police said Delison suffered a leg fracture while trying to escape, his family said he was subjected to custodial torture. He was taken to the Government Hospital at Manamadurai, the Government Sivaganga Medical College and Hospital, and the Government Rajaji Hospital.