Mizoram Home Minister K.Sapdanga attended a function today at the SP Conference Hall in Serchhip District, marking the introduction of three new criminal laws that will be implemented across India starting July 1, 2024.
These laws are the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).
Sapdanga emphasized that these new laws will replace the long-standing criminal laws of India—the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act.
He noted that these changes are crucial in the ongoing fight against crime, benefiting both Mizoram and the entire nation.
“The new laws mark the beginning of a new process and a significant chapter in our legal system,” said the Home Minister.
He pointed out that the old laws, some of which were over a century old and enacted by the British Government, are now being replaced to better suit the current technological and societal landscape.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, will take over from the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, will replace the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.
These new laws will streamline and modernize India’s criminal justice system by removing outdated provisions, consolidating existing ones, and introducing penalties for new types of crimes.
Key features of the new laws include the ability to file a Zero FIR at any police station, online FIR registration, and the sending of summons via SMS and other digital means. The new laws also incorporate community service as a form of punishment for certain offenses.
To facilitate the transition, the Serchhip SP Office has organized training sessions on the new laws and conducted awareness campaigns in churches and NGOs.
Today’s program was chaired by Serchhip SP M.S.Dawngkima, with SP Saidingliana Sailo and Asst. Public Prosecutor Laithanpuia providing detailed overview of the new laws.
