Sri C. Anjaneya Reddy, IPS (Retd) delivers the Prof. S. Venugopal Rao Memorial 6th Oration “Revisiting the Criminal Justice System at Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad
Hyderabad, September 25, 2025: The Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI), Hyderabad, hosted the Prof. S. Venugopal Rao Memorial 6th Oration today at its Bella Vista Campus, Raj Bhavan Road, Hyderabad. The annual lecture, endowed by the Prof. S. Venugopala Rao Memorial Charitable Trust, featured a keynote address by Sri C. Anjaneya Reddy, IPS (Retd), former Head of AP Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) and Founder Director of the AP State Police Academy, on the theme “Revisiting the Criminal Justice System.”
The programme opened with a welcome address by Dr. N. Ramesh Kumar, IAS (Retd), Director General, ASCI, followed by the inaugural address from Shri K. Padmanabhaiah, IAS (Retd), Chairman, ASCI.
Key Highlights of the Oration by Shri Anjaneya Reddy
• Sri Anjaneya Reddy emphasized the four pillars of the criminal justice system—the police, prosecutors, judiciary, and correctional administration—pointing out that correctional administration remains the most neglected dimension.
• He traced the historical backdrop of India’s criminal laws, originating in the colonial era, and highlighted the urgency of revising them significantly after independence.
• The oration examined recent reforms in the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including modernization of offenses, introduction of community service as punishment, and enhanced use of technology in evidence collection and investigations.
• While commending the progressive changes, he criticized the persistence of outdated colonial features, such as the irrational classification of cognizable and non-cognizable offenses, and noted the lack of authority for investigators to secure witness signatures—resulting in frequent retractions.
• He stressed the importance of victim compensation and witness protection schemes, urging state governments to establish well-funded, practical mechanisms in collaboration with legal services authorities.
• Drawing attention to the backlog of cases, he pointed out that nearly 359 million criminal cases remain pending across Indian courts.
• He underlined that a responsive criminal justice system needs accountability, transparency, and innovations to regain the trust of citizens.
Programme Conclusion
The session concluded with a memento presentation to Sri C. Anjaneya Reddy by Shri Padmanabhaiah, Chairman, ASCI, followed by a vote of thanks from representatives of the Prof. S. Venugopal Rao Memorial Charitable Trust. Participants hailed the oration as a timely reflection on long-overdue reforms in India’s justice system.
