Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the justice system is becoming indigenous almost 77 years after independence with the implementation of the three new criminal laws from Monday.
With these coming into effect across all police stations in the country, ‘punishment’ will be replaced by ‘justice’ and instead of delay, now there will be a speedy trial and justice delivery, he said while addressing the media.
Earlier, the rights of police were safeguarded, but now there will be more emphasis on the rights of the victims and complainants.
The new laws have come into effect since midnight with a new vision, and the Indian Penal Code which existed since 1860, has been replaced by the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita(BNS), Criminal Procedure Code which was known as CrPC and was since 1898 will be no more and ‘Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita’ BNSS has taken its place and the Indian Evidence Act which was in place since 1872, will also be a thing of past, with Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) taking its place.
The HM further said that going in line with the spirit of our Constitution, the priority of the sections and the chapters have been set in the new laws, and top priority has been given to crimes against women and children.
He stressed that there is a provision of 20 years imprisonment or life imprisonment in case of gang rape and death penalty in case of gang rape with a minor.
A separate crime has been defined for sexual exploitation by hiding one’s identity or making false promises, Shah said, adding that a provision has been made to record statements of the victim at her home in the presence of women officers and family members.
Besides this, the facility of online FIR has been provided too as a lot of women can be saved from embarrassment this way, he added.
As a first, longstanding demand for the provisions against mob lynching is going to be come into effect for the first time with these laws, the HM said.
In the new criminal laws, the section related to sedition was removed and replaced with section of treason, the home minister said, adding that a new section on organized crime was also added in the Indian Judicial Code.
With more emphasis now on the victim as well as the complainant’s rights, they will be better protected now, as earlier focus was more on safeguarding police’s rights.
More accountability on part of the law enforcement agency will be ensured with the new laws, he said.
Those provisions which were problematic for Indians and existed since the British rule have been reformed.
Shah asserted full confidence that with the implementation of the new laws across the country, they will prove to be the most advanced laws.
Throwing more light, Shah said 99.9 per cent of the police stations have been computerized, the Zero FIRs and E FIR etc will be digital and the victim will be given the case progress within 90 days.
He added that 6 lakh police police personnel have been imparted with training regarding the new legislations to ensure a smooth transition.
The HM also clarified over the news regarding the first case registered under new laws, stating it has been registered in Gwalior, MP, and the case at Kamla Market PS Delhi was one of the first cases registered in Delhi.