IMPHAL, July 1: Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh said on Monday that under the new criminal laws, there are provisions for maximum of two adjournments in court cases and filing of zero-FIR at any police station.
The Union home ministry had recently announced the enactment of three new criminal laws.
Addressing a formal function at the Palace Auditorium, Manipur State Film Development Society in Imphal on Monday, N. Biren Singh said that the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 have replaced British-era Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, respectively.
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The chief minister said, “Under the new laws, FIRs can be filed in one’s own dialect. These laws will be of great help to the people.”
Stating that the laws are abreast of the times, and would be very effective, he said that at the same time the implementation part is also very crucial.
“If those implementing agencies including security officers, lawyers are not sincere then the laws will not serve their purpose. I appeal to all to work with sincerity and with conviction to help in delivering justice to the people,” Singh said.
The chief minister also said that the central government’s introduction of these laws stemmed from the observation that the existing laws were inadequate to address the technological advancements and societal shifts that had occurred over the past few decades.
The new laws overhauled the Indian criminal justice system, he said, adding that they aimed to implement justice through a victim centric approach, increasing focus on national security and introducing digital/ electronic evidence reviews.
He also said that there were provisions against mob justice and further, appealed to the people of the state against delivering mob justice and to bring understanding through dialogue and more peaceful ways.
He said other major changes included revisions in punishment for few crimes and addressing issues such as the jurisdiction, backlog of cases, insufficient human resources and infrastructure, inadequate investigations and prosecutions and outdated laws and procedures.
The Chief Minister also highlighted certain key features of the three new laws and said that under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, in the corporate context, the penal sections of law mostly related to cases of cheating, criminal misappropriation, breach of trust, forgery and used of forged documents.
He also highlighted key feature of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 and said it defined additional types of electronic evidence, empowered courts and police officers to issue summons in cases where digital evidence was involved, clarifies jurisdictions in cheating cases involving electronic modes of deception and empowered Courts to ask for electronic filings in cases where documents were voluminous.
The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), 2023 has expanded definition of ‘document’ to include electronic and digital records and included examples of such records, expanded definition of documentary evidence to include electronic/digital records, classified electronic evidence as primary evidence when produced from ‘proper custody’ and broadened the definition of ‘Experts’ to include more areas of expertise.
The laws have been presented with a vision to tackle the challenges within India’s criminal justice system, with support of advanced investigation methodologies and technology, the chief minister added.
State law and legislative affairs minister, Thounaojam Basantakumar Singh said Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 has provisions for community service.
The earlier laws focused mostly on the punishment of the culprits rather than rehabilitation of the culprits, he said, adding that these new laws have a victim centric approach. (NNN)
