The Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act will be replaced by three legislation that Union Home Minister Amit Shah submitted in the Lok Sabha on the final day of the monsoon session of the Parliament. Shah stated when introducing the proposals that the revised Indian Penal Code (IPC) bill would totally remove the offense of sedition.
According to Amit Shah on Friday, a parliamentary panel will review the three bills—the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill, 2023—further.
The purpose of the laws that will be repealed was to strengthen and defend the British government; they were intended to punish rather than to provide justice. The new three laws will convey the spirit of protecting Indian citizens’ rights by replacing them, he stated in the Lower House of Parliament.
Notably, the three common statutes from the British era continue to be used in India’s criminal justice system. The nation’s criminal justice system operated in accordance with rules written by the British from 1860 until 2023. The criminal justice system in the nation will significantly change with the passage of these three legislation, he said.
These three legislation’ main points are listed below.
According to the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita of 2023, a person is not eligible for bail if they have served half of the maximum sentence for the offence they committed while awaiting prosecution.
-New offenses related to terrorist attacks and organized crime have been introduced to the Bill under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with deterrent penalties.
-Several offenses have been declared gender neutral in Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which aims to repeal the IPC.
-A new offense has been added for acts of secession, armed rebellion, subversion, and separatist activity, as well as for jeopardizing India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity.
-The penalties and fines for numerous offenses have also been appropriately increased.
-The bill also makes it easier to get a time-limited approval to charge government employees.
-A clause has been added to allow for the trial in absentia of fugitive offenders like Dawood Ibrahim.
Separate offenses are outlined for separatist and waging war against the nation, for example.
20-year prison terms and life sentences for group rape have just been instituted. The death penalty is an option in crimes involving girls under the age of 18.
-Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the death penalty, a seven-year prison sentence, and a life sentence had all been used in incidents of mob lynching.
-As India Today noted, the new proposals call for modifying the penalty for rape. For the rape of kids, there will be provisions for the death penalty.
-Amit Shah also stated that “imprisonment for natural life” shall be the definition of “life imprisonment.”
