Overview

• Speaking at the Indian Police Foundation Annual Day in Mumbai, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the performance of the Maharashtra and Mumbai Police and criticized Hindi films for portraying them as slow to respond.
• Fadnavis said the state has built a cybersecurity lab he described as the most progressive in India and claimed four countries have approached Maharashtra, with one offering a request to replicate the facility.
• He urged wider use of AI, data analytics, machine learning and digital tracking to speed investigations and address crimes proliferating on social media and online marketplaces.
• The chief minister reaffirmed a zero‑tolerance stance on drug offenses and said any officer found involved would face dismissal proceedings.
• He highlighted a 2023 overhaul of the police organisational structure — the first in 53 years — to make the force more agile as priorities shift from street crime toward white‑collar and cyber offenses.