Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita Is Victim-Centric, Says HC Judge

Hyderabad: Telangana High Court Judge Justice K. Surender said that the introduction of three new criminal laws was a much sought-after initiative for an effective criminal justice system in tune with the changed crime scenario, as it is replacing the 150-year-old Indian Penal Code.

Addressing a workshop, `New Criminal Major Acts’ by the Forum for the Nationalist Thinkers at Sardar Patel Auditorium of Keshav Memorial Institute of Technology, Justice Surender said many new additions have been added to the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS), in tune with the changes in society and the legal community, particularly advocates, integrate themselves with the challenges.

Unlike the IPC, sedition was no longer an offence under the BNS. Instead, an offence under BNS is treason which is covered in Section 152 as acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India. Causing death by negligence used to get two years punishment, it will be five to 10 years as per BNS, Justice Surender said.

Justice Surender said that it was still not the end of the day for IPC, as some speakers had observed at the workshop, since all the old cases filed so far in the courts, would be dealt with as per the old sections and laws.

B. Narasimha Sharma, additional solicitor general, said that 48 per cent of hit-and-run cases had resulted in fatalities. The punishment under such cases has been increased as per new laws to control the menace. The punishment for such cases is reduced if the offender informs the police and takes the victim for treatment.

The new laws took serious note of the offences against women and children. The offences against the human body like mob-lynching have been included as grave crimes. The punishment for organised crimes like economic offences and terrorist offences, which act against sovereignty and integrity of the country, have been increased as per new criminal laws.

Telangana Bar Council chairman A Narasimha Reddy said the landscape for criminal laws has undergone several reforms in the last few decades. The drastic change in the crime graph and its character has necessitated introducing of three new criminal laws.

The new laws replace the 150-year-old British-era colonial laws. These laws consider the implementation of justice through a victim-centric approach, increasing focus on national security and introducing digital, electronic evidence reviews. The new laws also take serious note of offences against women and children as the punishment under these cases has increased, he said.

Medak MP Raghunandan Rao, a former member of Telangana Legislative Council N. Ramachander Rao and other members of different bar councils were also present in the workshop.