NEW DELHI: As the three new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) came into force on Monday, July 1, the Delhi Police has begun registering FIRs under the newly implemented criminal laws.
The first FIR was lodged in the central Delhi district sharp at 12.00 am in the wee hours of Monday under section 285 of the BNS. The said section prosecutes the offender for danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation.
It was a street vendor in Central Delhi’s Kamla Market who was booked for encroaching space near New Delhi Railway Station and selling water, cigarettes and other tobacco products.
According to the FIR, accessed by The New Indian Express, Sub-Inspector Kartik was patrolling in the aforesaid area when he said the street vendor blocked the public way following which he asked him multiple times to move aside but the alleged person did not pay any heed to his requests.
"I then took out my mobile phone, recorded a video of the incident, and then uploaded it on the E-Praman Application," the complaint lodged by the SI read. The street vendor was then subsequently booked.
Notably, as per the new law, the evidence collection process at the crime scene has to be mandatorily videographed to prevent evidence tampering.
An interesting addition to the law is that in the event of an arrest, the individual has the right to inform a person of his choice about their situation. This will ensure immediate support and assistance to the arrested individual.
Besides, arrest details will now be prominently displayed within police stations and district headquarters, allowing families and friends of the arrested person easy access to important information.
To strengthen the case and investigations, it has become mandatory for forensic experts to visit crime scenes for serious offences and collect evidence.
In the northeast Delhi, the first FIR under the newly implemented criminal law was lodged for attempt to murder, where a man was shot over a petty issue. The FIR was lodged under section 109(1)3/5 and section 25 of the Arms Act.
