'Time to end colonial laws...' Amit Shah in Lok Sabha on new bills to replace Indian Penal Code
The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023, were placed in parliament. Amit Shah said the new bills lay "emphasis on Indianness, the Indian Constitution and the well-being of the people".
FollowUnion Home Minister Amit Shah, in Lok Sabha, tabled the three crime bills and explained several provisions on Wednesday. He explained that under new crime bills, sedition would be applicable only when it targets the country. He said, "The new laws are framed with the fundamental principles of our Constitution in mind: individual freedom, human rights, and equal treatment for all."
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi brought about the proposed three crime bills in a bid to extinguish colonial laws from the justice system. Amit Shah said the new crime bills, replacing the IPC and CrPC, aim to deliver justice and speedy justice. He said that the new crime bill will impose a time limit on investigation taken by the authorities.
Elaborating on the laws, Shah said, '“Indian Penal Code, 1860 was formulated as a source of punishment for Indians. Instead of this, we will now have the ‘Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023’."
"In its place, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 will be implemented in the entire country after the approval of this House. Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Bill 2023 replacing CrPc will come into force after the approval of this House. And the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill 2023 will come into force in place of the Indian Evidence Act 1872," Shah said on the three proposed laws.
“In CrPC there were 484 sections, now there will be 531 sections in it. Changes have been made in 177 sections and 9 new sections have been added. 39 new sub-sections have been added. 44 new provisions have been added…” Amit Shah said.
Speaking further about Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which will replace IPC, he said, "BNS gives a right to the victim to speak during the trial, Zero FIR, a court cannot allow withdrawal/closure of the case without hearing the victim. A compulsory copy of the investigation report to the victim and accused. Police accountability will be fixed."
On hit-and-run case
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, "Accidental death and death due to negligence have been redefined--- if the person runs over someone with a car by accident-- if the driver takes the victim to the hospital they will face lighter punishment, but a hit & run case will get higher punishment." "If an undertrial has completed 1/3 of the imprisonment period, they can get bail," he added.
Amit Shah: Trial to be completed within 120 days
"Now the accused will get seven days to file a plea for acquittal...The judge has to hold the hearing in those seven days and in a maximum time of 120 days, the case would come to trial. There was no time limit for plea bargaining earlier. Now if one accepts their crime within 30 days of the crime then the punishment would be less...There was no provision to present documents during trials. We have made it compulsory to produce all documents within 30 days. No delays will be made in that," Amit Shah said while speaking on the three proposed criminal laws.
