“We are now moving from ‘Dand’ to ‘Nyay'”: Jammu ADGP on new criminal laws

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 1 (ANI): After the new three criminal laws came into effect today, a programme was held at the police auditorium in Jammu to raise awareness regarding the new laws.

The programme was chaired by many personalities, including Jammu Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Anand Jain.

Responding to it, the Jammu ADGP said, “There are enough security provisions for women and children in these laws. It will bring transparency to our investigation. Our process will improve and we will be able to take timely action. We are now moving from “Dand” to “Nyay”. This is a significant change. The provision of Zero-FIR ensures that the complainant doesn’t need to go anywhere.”

Vikram Sharma, President of the Jammu Bar Association, said that it was the need of the time to bring these laws in place of colonial mindset laws.

“The importance of this can be gauged by the fact that the ‘Nyay Sanhita’ has been used for the first time. The basic motto of these laws is to deliver justice to society. To deliver justice to those victims who appeal to the law. This also has historical significance. Until now, we have been operating under the laws of 1872. In this era of Chandrayaan-3, what compulsion was there that no one thought of bringing laws that are specific to India? This was also a requirement of the time,” he said.

Shreya, a student who participated in the programme, said that these laws are very good for women’s safety and we need to ensure that they remain effective in the future as well.

The new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita came into effect from July 1 midnight.

The three new laws received Parliament’s nod on December 21, 2023. President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on December 25, 2023, and was published in the official gazette on the same day.

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 The penalty of community service has been introduced for six crimes and 19 sections have been repealed or removed from the bill.

Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita has 531 sections (in place of 484 sections of CrPC). A total of 177 provisions have been changed in the bill, and nine new sections as well as 39 new sub-sections have been added to it. The draft 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.