7 states, J&K Police seek study material on new laws made by Delhi Police

New Delhi, July 5 (PTI) The study material on the three new criminal laws prepared by the Delhi Police for its personnel has been sought by other state police forces, official sources said on Friday.

The police force of eight states and Union Territory — Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradhesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh — have contacted the Delhi Police seeking the study material on the new criminal laws, an official source said.

“The study material has been shared with some of the states. It will be soon shared with others,” the source said.

Earlier, a batch of Arunachal Pradesh police officers took a training on the new criminal laws from the Delhi Police.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) came into effect in the country on July 1. The new laws replaced the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

Apart from changing the sections and procedure, the new laws have added about 20 new crimes and in 33 criminal cases, the quantum of punishment has been increased.
The Delhi Police is among the first police forces in the country, which has published a study material, imparted training to its personnel and distributed booklets.
Apart from giving training to its own personnel, the Delhi Police has given training about new laws to ‘Naib’ court, legal consultants and magistrates. The police officials have delivered lectures on the new laws in law universities as well.

In January, a 14-member committee was constituted by the Delhi Police to study the laws and prepare the study material for its personnel. The committee was led by Special Commissioner of Police Chhaya Sharma and comprised DCP Joy Tirkey, Additional DCP Uma Shankar and other ACP, inspector and SI rank officers.
The material was published in March-April soon after the final approval from Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora, an officer said.

According to officials, the Delhi Police’s Training Division prepared three separate sets of books on the new criminal laws.

“The contents and format in the books are made in a simpler manner so that the personnel on ground could learn the changes quickly and easily,” a senior police officer said.
First, these books were given to the personnel who got the training in the first phase. Later, the material was distributed to others, the officer said.
Two major components of the study material — compendium of forms for investigating officers and a reference manual booklet (IPC to BNS) — are helpful for the personnel in their day-to-day work.
According to an officer, the study material is being shared on the BPRD’s (Bureau of Police Research and Development) official website as well so that they could be further utilised by other state police.