In Delhi’s Kamla Market neighborhood, the first-ever Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita case was filed on July 1st against a street vendor. This is a historic moment because it is the first FIR under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, according to news agency ANI. A police report was filed at Kamla Market Police Station regarding Pankaj Kumar, a street seller who is a resident of Barh, Bihar.
According to reports, Kumar was obstructing and inconveniencing commuters in the Kamla Market area by selling tobacco and water from a cart close to the main route. The FIR claims that Kumar disregarded patrolling officials’ requests to remove his cart from the footover bridge close to the New Delhi Railway Station.Consequently, the police filed a First Information Report (FIR) against him on the grounds of obstruction under Section 285 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The criminal justice system in India has undergone a substantial makeover with the introduction of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) is replaced by the Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Indian Evidence Act is replaced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. These two laws go hand in hand with the new legislation that replaces the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The collective goal of these legislation is to update India’s legal system.The 358 provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita increase the jail terms for 33 current offenses and introduce 20 new ones. Additionally, it adds mandatory minimum sentences for 23 offenses, increased fines for 83 crimes, and community service requirements for six crimes. Nineteen sections have also been eliminated or repealed.
Modernizing the procedural features of the justice system is another goal of the new laws. The provisions include required videography of crime scenes for all severe crimes, electronic summonses via SMS, online complaint registration, and the implementation of Zero FIR, which permits the instant registration of police complaints regardless of jurisdiction.Starting on July 1, all new FIRs will be registered under the new criminal rules; cases filed before this date will be tried under the old laws until they are resolved. The goal of this shift to the new legal framework is to give India a more effective and equitable legal system.