2024-07-02 06:15:02
Senior Civil Judge and Member Secretary of Mysuru District Legal Services Authority Dinesh B.G. (extreme left) and Director of Karnataka Police Academy (KPA) M.S. Geetha at an awareness programme on implementation of new criminal laws in Mysuru on Monday.
| Photo Credit: M.A. Sriram
The salient features of the new criminal laws were discussed at an awareness programme organised by Karnataka Police Academy (KPA) in Mysuru on Monday.
Senior Civil Judge and Member Secretary of Mysuru district Legal Services Authority B.G. Dinesh addressed the gathering at the awareness programme organised for the benefit of representatives from the police, judiciary, media, Police Training School, Prison and Correctional Service and Forensic experts.
He pointed out that Indian Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, and the Indian Evidence Act, which had been replaced by Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) respectively by an act of the Parliament, will be coming into force from July 1.
Hoping that the new provisions will be adopted by the persons responsible for their implementation, Mr. Dinesh said the BSA, which replaces the old Indian Evidence Act, has incorporated changes to consider digital evidence to address cyber crimes that were growing in society. Now, the electronic devices used to send, store, and receive content can be considered as primary evidence, he said.
Similarly, BNS, which replaces Indian Penal Code, now provides magistrates with the power to impose fines upto ₹ 50,000, which was earlier capped at ₹ 10,000. Also, the magistrates were now empowered to impose community service apart from punishment.
Certain changes in the nomenclature of the judicial officers have also been made in the new laws, he said.
The handcuffing of suspects, which had been banned by the Supreme Court, is now permitted for persons charged with heinous offences.
Under the earlier laws, cases against proclaimed offenders were treated as long pending cases. But, the new law allows the courts to record evidence even in the absence of accused and conduct a trial by giving the absconder legal assistance.
Earlier, KPA Director M.S. Geetha addressed the gathering and said the new criminal laws had been introduced in tune with the changing times and hoped the new laws will help bring down crime in the society.
