BENGALURU: Karnataka police is gearing up to implement the three new criminal laws (NCLs), which will be effective from July 1. Director General & Inspector General of Police (DG&IGP) Alok Mohan has constituted a committee headed by the DGP, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Mohd Saleem to bring in awareness on the three NCLs in the state police.
The committee comprises five Additional Directors General of Police (ADGPs) -- Administration, Law & Order (L&O), Crime & Criminal Tracking Network & Systems (CCTNS), Training and Police Computer Wing (PCW).
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973; and Indian Evidence Act (IEA), 1872, after President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent on December 25, 2023. They will come into force from July 1. The NCLs have shed colonial references from older laws, are welfare-oriented and citizen-centric, with focus on security. There is a provision for reformative punishment and community service for first-time offenders.
Mohan told TNIE that on February 23, an expert from the Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPRD) had conducted a session for Superintendents of Police, Deputy Inspectors General and Inspectors General at the police headquarters in hybrid mode on NCLs.
“We are already running courses on the three new laws in the Karnataka Police Academy (KPA), Mysuru, for officers of other ranks, along with refresher courses,” said Mohan.
ADGP, Training, Alok Kumar said the KPA is also preparing training modules in Kannada. “The BPRD is assisting in training the trainers. They have trained 70 trainers. We recently concluded a five-day course on February 16 to train police sub-inspectors, inspectors and deputy SPs. All 12 police training schools in Karnataka are holding training programmes on NCLs. We hope to cover all police officials in the state by March-end,” said Kumar.
Police software CCTNS and IT will also be changed in accordance with the NCLs by July 1.
Besides the three NCLs, the Central government has also initiated three new initiatives: e-courts, Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) and new technology to remove delays in the criminal justice system. The main objective of ICJS is to integrate all pillars of criminal justice: the police (CCTNS), courts (e-courts), prisons (e-prisons), forensic laboratories (e-forensic) and prosecution (e-prosecution).
BNS OVER IPC
358 sections in the BNS, as against 511 in the IPC
19 sections are deleted, including Section 310 on ‘thug’, Section 309 on attempt to suicide and Section 497 on adultery
20 new offences added
Includes Section 69 on sexual intercourse using deceitful means; Section 112 defines organised crime, petty crime, and punishment; Section 95 on hiring a child (defined as a person below the age of 18 years) to commit an offence; Sections 103 (2) and 117 (4) on mob lynching etc
Section 113 defines a terrorist act as an act endangering sovereignty, unity, integrity and security
Section 152 (Deshdroh) of BNS has replaced Section 124 (A) IPC on sedition
