Raipur, June 19 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah will visit Chhattisgarh on June 22 for a two-day tour focussed on strengthening forensic infrastructure and reviewing internal security operations.

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma informed that the Union Home Minister will lay the foundation stone for the National Forensic Science University (NFSU) campus in Naya Raipur and hold high-level meetings on administrative and security matters.

The NFSU campus, to be built on 40 acres of land provided by the state government, will be developed by the Central government at an estimated cost of Rs 350–400 crore, he said.

The institution is expected to play a pivotal role in implementing India’s new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam — where forensic evidence will be central to investigations in serious crimes.

A digital transit campus will begin operations this academic session to ensure early access to education and training.

The entrance test has already been conducted and admissions will begin from this year, the Chhattisgarh Home Minister said.

In addition, a state forensic laboratory will be constructed on an adjacent 6–7 acre plot.

“This dual infrastructure is aimed at addressing the growing demand for skilled forensic professionals and modernising criminal justice delivery in the region,” he said.

On June 23, HM Shah is scheduled to visit a security forces camp in Bastar division, a region long affected by Naxalite insurgency. He will also meet the family of Additional Superintendent of Police Akash Rao Girepunje, who was recently killed in an IED blast in Sukma district.

Deputy CM Sharma emphasised that the state is intensifying its anti-Naxal campaign.

Special Task Forces are being formed in every district, and a toll-free number will soon be launched to gather public feedback.

The state Cabinet on Wednesday decided that families of martyred personnel will be given priority in government employment across departments, not just in police services, but in other departments too.

Since January 2024, over 400 Maoist cadres have been neutralised in Chhattisgarh, including top leaders like CPI (Maoist) — Nambala Keshav Rao (Basvaraju) and Sudhakar.

The Centre has set a target to eliminate Naxalism by March 2026. In the month of April, HM Shah had visited Bastar and appealed to Maoists to lay down arms, come back home and participate in development activities of the state and ensure a better future for coming generations.

The establishment of NFSU in Chhattisgarh marks a significant step in decentralising forensic education and bolstering the national security infrastructure.

With eight campuses already operational across India and more in the pipeline, the university is set to become a cornerstone of India’s evidence-based justice system.

–IANS

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