As the new criminal laws came into force on Monday, Chhaya Sharma, Delhi Police Special CP (Training), stated that over 45,000 officers in the force have been trained for the change.
The Special CP mentioned that special booklets have been prepared to ease the implementation process.
The three new criminal laws, namely Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973; and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, which came into effect from Monday.
“FIRs will be registered under these sections from today. Our training for this began on February 5. We prepared booklets that helped us easily train our officers so they can be prepared for the coming changes,” the Special CP said.
“The pocket booklet, divided into four parts, contains the transition from IPC to BNS, new sections added to BNS, categories that now come under seven years of punishment, and a table containing sections needed for everyday policing,” she said.
CP Sharma stated that the first round of training was provided to the IOs in all stations and also to potential IOs who might be posted in major stations in the future.
“Now, at least 45,000 officers in the Delhi Police are trained and ready for the changes introduced by the new criminal laws. We have also established a team to assist officers with any questions regarding the implementation of these laws. This team serves as an FAQ resource, providing support and clarification as needed during the implementation process,” CP Sharma said.
She also highlighted that the best part of the new system is that it focuses on ‘justice’ rather than ‘punishment’ with a victim-centric approach.
“For the first time, great emphasis has been given to digital evidence. Now, the evidence will be recorded digitally. The role of forensic experts has been enhanced,” she added.
She further said that old cases registered under the IPC, CrPC, and Indian Evidence Act will be tried under the same old laws until final disposal.
“Law doesn’t function on a retrospective basis. So, the law is that the old cases (registered earlier) will be dealt with under IPC and CrPC. But when new cases are registered from today, July 1, sections of BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita) will be invoked. Similarly, the process of investigation that begins today will follow Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and not CrPC. Old cases will be dealt with under old sections – CrPC and IPC. New cases will be dealt with sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS),” she said.
The first FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, was registered at Kamla Market Police Station in the national capital on Monday.
The case has been registered against a street vendor under Section 285 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for obstruction on the footbridge of New Delhi Railway Station and making sales.
The three new laws that came into effect today received Parliament’s nod on December 21, 2023. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on December 25, 2023, and it was published in the official gazette on the same day.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita will have 358 sections (instead of 511 sections in the IPC). A total of 20 new crimes have been added to the bill, and the imprisonment sentence has been increased for 33 of them. The amount of the fine has been increased in 83 crimes, and mandatory minimum punishment has been introduced in 23 crimes. The penalty of community service has been introduced for six crimes, and 19 sections have been repealed or removed from the bill.
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita will have 531 sections (in place of 484 sections of CrPC). A total of 177 provisions have been changed in the bill, and nine new sections as well as 39 new sub-sections have been added. The draft act has added 44 new provisions and clarifications. Timelines have been added to 35 sections, and audio-video provisions have been added at 35 places. A total of 14 sections have been repealed and removed in the Sanhita.
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam will have 170 provisions (instead of the original 167 provisions), and a total of 24 provisions have been changed. Two new provisions and six sub-provisions have been added, and six provisions have been repealed or deleted in the Adhiniyam.
The complete implementation of new criminal laws will ensure an end to the ‘tareekh pe tareekh’ era, and justice will be given in three years, as earlier informed in the Parliament by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.