'Great step towards decolonisation': Tejasvi Surya hails Bills tabled to replace IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act

Hailing the tabling of three Bills to replace the IPC, CrPC and Indian Evidence Act, BJP leader Tejasvi Surya on Friday said “the fact that India had to wait for 75 years to decolonise its criminal justice system speaks volumes of the kind of intellectual and mental slavery that plagued the earlier regimes”. “This is a great step towards decolonisation, a great step towards finally moving away from  the mecholian era colonisation laws to a truly Bhartiya criminal justice system,” said the BJP leader. Terming the all three Bills historic, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the legislations will strengthen India’s criminal justice system. “All three Bills are historic…These will strengthen India’s criminal justice system…Earlier, people used to be on the run and trials could not happen…Now, the trials will have to be done for fugitives and terrorists, even if it is done separately…Punishment will be given…,” said Prasad.

In a landmark move, Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday introduced three bills in Lok Sabha to replace colonial-era laws, asserting that the proposed laws will transform the country’s criminal justice system and bring the spirit to protect the rights of the Indian citizen at the centre stage. Shah introduced the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Bill, 2023; Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) Bill, 2023; and Bharatiya Sakshya (BS) Bill, 2023 that will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Criminal Procedure Act, 1898, and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 respectively and said the changes were done to provide speedy justice and creating a legal system that keeps contemporary needs and aspirations of the people. The BNS Bill has provisions that seek to repeal sedition, and award maximum capital punishment for crimes such as mob lynching and rape of minors, the Home Minister said. The Bill also has provisions to provide first-time community service as one of the punishments for petty offences. The Bill also lists new offences such as acts of secession, armed rebellion, subversive activities, separatist activities or endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India.

With inputs from agencies