97,000 persons convicted in UP under 'operation conviction' since 2023

Under UP government's "Operation Conviction" launched in 2023, over 97,000 persons have been convicted till mid June, an official statement on Tuesday said.

"Launched on July 1, 2023, Operation Conviction has proven to be a game-changer, leading to the conviction of 97,158 criminals between July 2023 and mid-June," ADG prosecution Deepesh Juneja said.

Juneja said of the 1,14,029 identified cases, 74,388 cases were disposed of.

Under the campaign, 68 accused persons were sentenced to death, 8,172 received life imprisonment, 1,453 were sentenced to over 20 years, and 87,465 were given up to 20 years' imprisonment.

The data showed the government's commitment to delivering swift and decisive justice, particularly in cases involving serious crimes, he added.

Targeting organised crime, the statement said, 395 accused were convicted in 272 cases involving the top 10 criminals.

When it came to crack down on the mafia, 29 of the 69 identified mafias were convicted, reaffirming that the crackdown was not limited to petty offenders, the statement added.

The campaign was stated to have also delivered results in cases of crimes against children as reflected from 17 accused being sentenced to death under the POCSO Act which included three such punishments in a month and 619 persons being handed out life imprisonment.

Of the 68 death penalties, 17 were under POCSO, 48 for heinous crimes, and the rest in other cases.

On average, 143 identified cases were resolved, and 187 criminals convicted each working day, it said.