Latest News | HP Police Gearing Up to Adopt New Criminal Laws, Training Underway: Top Official
Get latest articles and stories on Latest News at LatestLY. The preparation for adopting the three new criminal laws is in full swing in Himachal Pradesh, with the related training of officials to be completed soon, a top police officer said on Wednesday.
Shimla, Jun 26 (PTI) The preparation for adopting the three new criminal laws is in full swing in Himachal Pradesh, with the related training of officials to be completed soon, a top police officer said on Wednesday.
The new laws embody a reformative philosophy, not retributive philosophy and will make the system transparent, strong and effective, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Abhishek Trivedi said in a statement issued here.
"All cases registered since midnight of July 1 will be tried as per the new criminal laws," he said during an interaction with officials.
The three laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam -- which are replacing the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, respectively, will be effective from July 1, according to the Centre.
Trivedi said the preparation for moving to the new system is in full swing and added that training of all officials, at all levels, will be completed soon, according to the statement.
With focus on technology, the new laws will bring uniformity across the nation in filing of e-FIRs with thrust on mobile phones and applications, the AGDP said, adding that all seizures made by the police will now have to be accompanied with videography.
He mentioned that the National Crime Records Bureau has launched a free application 'Sabkalan' which has information on the sections of the outgoing laws and their corresponding sections under the respective new criminal laws.
One of the officials present at the interaction mentioned that electronic and digital records, including WhatsApp messages and SMS, have been included in the definition of 'document,' requiring the police to maintain a record of these as well.
Earlier, these provisions were a part of only the Information Technology (IT) Act and not the IPC, he added.
The bail procedure has been streamlined under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, allowing for trial in absentia for proclaimed offenders, the official pointed out.
Additionally, adopting a gender perspective, the law now permits summons to be served to any adult family member, not just male members, he added.
Under the new laws, the death penalty is applicable for 13 offences, up from eight under the IPC, the statement said.
A new section has been introduced, dealing separately with rape and sexual intercourse. A section on sexual intercourse on the pretext of marriage or false promises has also been included, it added.
Another official welcomed the introduction of community service as a punishment, and said that the judge can prescribe this for six types of offences.
Abetment committed from outside India has now been made an offence, which addresses situations such as those of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, he added.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)