New criminal laws in line with challenges, expectations of society: Speaker Om Birla
Birla stressed that the public has immense faith in justice, which has become stronger in the journey of 75 years.
The first FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, was filed against a Delhi street vendor at Kamla Market Police Station on Monday, shortly after it was implemented across the country, news agency ANI reported.
The complaint was filed against the street vendor for allegedly obstructing the foot-over bridge at New Delhi Railway Station by selling goods, specifically tobacco and water, from a cart.
The accused vendor has been identified as Pankaj Kumar, a resident of Bihar. He allegedly caused inconvenience to commuters by blocking the road.
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This marks a significant shift in the country’s justice delivery system as the colonial-era criminal laws have now been replaced by the new criminal laws.
The three new criminal laws Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam came into effect on July 1.
These new laws replaced the colonial-era laws — the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita comprises 358 sections, down from the IPC’s 511 sections.
The government has introduced 20 new offenses, increased prison sentences for 33 crimes, raised fines for 83 offenses, and mandated minimum punishments for 23 crimes under the BNS.
Additionally, the BNS has provisions for community service penalties for six crimes.
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