DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said three new criminal laws brought by the Centre will prove to be the "biggest" reform witnessed by India in the 21st century.

He also said after the complete implementation of these laws -- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) -- India will have the most modern and technology-equipped criminal justice system in the world.

Shah was addressing a gathering after launching the e-evidence, Nyay Setu, Nyay Shruti and e-Summon apps for the three new criminal laws here.

The BNS, the BNSS and the BSA, which came into effect on July 1, replaced the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Indian Evidence Act respectively.

Shah said Chandigarh will be the country's first administrative unit where 100 per cent implementation of the three laws will be done in the next two months.

He said these new laws, through which the criminal justice system is run, will prove to be the "biggest" reform the country will witness in the 21st century.

Technology has been included in these laws in such a way that they will cater to the requirements of the next 50 years, the home minister said.

These citizen-centric laws have been framed according to the spirit of the Constitution and after their complete implementation, it will be possible to get a judgment up to the Supreme Court within three years, he added.

"The BNS, BNSS and BSA are laws made by elected representatives in Parliament and for the people of India. It has the fragrance of Indian soil and also the culture of our justice," Shah said.

Laws enacted 150 years ago cannot be relevant today, he asserted.

People did not get justice for years and instead, courts were blamed for only giving next dates of hearing, he said.

Gradually, the trust of people in the country's judicial system was getting eroded, Shah said, adding, "That is why the (Narendra) Modi government worked on implementing these three new laws."

He said there is precedence to justice rather than punishment in the new laws.

The purpose of these laws is to ensure justice for people and that is why they are not penal codes but "Nyaya Sanhita", the home minister said.

Asserting that the Constitution is not just a book, Shah said, "Every person has dignity and rights. It is the Constitution's responsibility to ensure that every person gets justice. The medium to bring this spirit of the Constitution to the ground is our criminal justice system."

He pointed out that a lot of changes have been introduced in the new laws.

"You will be able to register an FIR through electronic medium. Strict provisions for mob-lynching have been made," Shah said. Fleeing the country after committing a crime here will not be easy now, he stressed.

"Earlier, those who fled the country, their cases used to remain pending for years. But now, after being declared fugitives, the trial will go on in their absence and they will be punished as well. If they want to appeal, they will have to surrender and go to the high court," Shah said.

Several people fled the country after committing crimes here and are out of the reach of law, he added.

"If anyone makes such an attempt, they will be punished here," he said.

The home minister said the government has set up eight forensic science universities and eight more will come up.

Every year, the country will get 36,000 forensic experts, he added.

About the laws, Shah said they provide for mandatory visits by a forensic team in connection with offences that carry a punishment of seven years or more in jail and technical evidence will also help strengthen the proof for conviction.

About e-Sakshya, he said all videography, photography and testimonies will be saved on the e-evidence server, which will also be available in courts immediately.

Under e-Summon, a summons will be sent electronically from a court to a police station and also to the person to whom it is to be sent.
(editor@dailyworld.in)