Chandigarh: PM Modi dedicates to nation implementation of 3 new criminal laws

PM Narendra Modi. File Pic

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday dedicated to the nation the successful implementation of the three new criminal laws in Chandigarh, PTI reported.

Chandigarh has become the very first administrative unit in the country where 100 per cent implementation of the three laws has been done, PTI reported.

The laws - Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, came into effect on July 1, replacing the British-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister stated that the new criminal laws are a concrete step toward achieving the values entrenched in the Constitution for the benefit of all residents.

He stated that these statutes represent the end of colonial-era laws.

Modi said that colonial-era laws were used by the British to perpetrate atrocities and exploitation in India, PTI reported.

"The 1857 revolution shook the roots of the British rule and in 1860, they brought the IPC and later, the Indian Evidence Act and the CrPC framework came into being. The purpose of those laws was to punish Indians and keep them enslaved," the prime minister said.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the three new laws have been fully implemented in Chandigarh. "Within three years of the registration of a FIR, one will get justice," claimed the minister.

"Our criminal justice system will be the most modern system in the world," Shah said.

The Union Home Minister also praised the Chandigarh administration for fully implementing the new regulations.

Earlier, Modi witnessed a live demonstration of a crime scene investigation under the new legislation.

The Chandigarh Police demonstrated the procedure of collecting evidence and recording statements at an exhibition hall put up at the Punjab Engineering College, PTI reported.

The program demonstrated the practical application of the new laws.

Additionally, Kanwardeep Kaur, the senior superintendent of police in Chandigarh briefed Modi.

The Prime minister and Home minister were joined by Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, UT Chandigarh advisor Rajeev Verma, and Chandigarh Director General of Police Surendra Singh Yadav.

The new criminal laws, which went into effect statewide on July 1, 2024, are intended to make India's legal system more open, efficient, and adaptive to the needs of modern society, according to an official statement released on Monday, PTI reported.

These landmark reforms represent a historic revamp of India's criminal justice system, introducing new frameworks to address modern-day concerns such as cybercrime and organised crime, as well as providing justice for victims of various offences, according to the statement.

(With PTI inputs)