First case registered in Uttarakhand under new criminal laws

Haridwar (Uttarakhand) [India], July 1 (ANI): The first case under the new criminal laws in Uttarakhand has been registered in Jwalapur Kotwali district, Haridwar.

The case was filed under Section 309(4) of the Indian Justice Code (BNS 2023) based on a complaint by Vipul Bhardwaj, a resident of Lathardeva Jhabreda, Haridwar, against two unidentified persons.

According to the police, Vipul alleged that on Monday at 1:45 am, while he was sitting near Ravidas Ghat, two unidentified persons threatened to kill him, brandishing a knife. They snatched his phone and cash worth Rs 1400 and pushed him towards the river Ganga before fleeing.

The police have launched an investigation and are working to apprehend the accused.

The three new criminal laws- the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), came into effect today. Under this the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been replaced with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the CrPC with Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Indian Evidence Act has been replaced with the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. These laws had received the assent by President Droupadi Murmu on December 25, 2023.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has 358 sections (instead of 511 sections of IPC). A total of 20 new crimes have been added to the Sanhita, and the imprisonment sentence has been increased for 33 crimes. The amount of fine has been increased in 83 crimes and mandatory minimum punishment has been introduced in 23 crimes. The penalty of community service has been introduced in six crimes and 19 sections have been repealed or removed in the Act.

Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita has 531 sections (in place of 484 sections of CrPC). A total of 177 provisions have been changed in the Sanhita and nine new sections as well as 39 new sub-sections have been added to it. The act has added 44 new provisions and clarifications. Timelines have been added to 35 sections and audio-video provision has been added at 35 places. A total of 14 sections have been repealed and removed in the Sanhita.

Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam has 170 provisions (instead of the original 167 provisions, and a total of 24 provisions have been changed. Two new provisions and six sub- provisions have been added and six provisions have been repealed or deleted in the Adhiniyam.