- Union Home Minister Amit Shah introduced redrafted criminal Bills.
- Union Home Minister Amit Shah presented three redrafted Bills in the Lok Sabha to replace the existing British-era criminal laws.
- The new bills incorporate the changes recommended by a parliamentary committee.
- The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill (BNSS), 2023 will take the place of the Indian Penal Code of 1860.
- Under the new bill, the definition of the terrorist act has been expanded.
- The “economic security” and “damage or destruction of any property in India or in a foreign country used or intended to be used for the defense of India” have been included in the definition of terrorist.
- Damage to the monetary stability of India by way of production or smuggling or circulation of counterfeit Indian paper currency, coin or of any other material has also been included under the terrorist offence.
- The Bill retains the death penalty as punishment. It proposes that an officer above the rank of Superintendent of Police will decide whether a case will be registered under the UAPA or not.
- In the rape case, printing or publishing of any matter relating to court proceedings without permission has been made a punishable offence.
- The Bill replaced the “mental illness” with “unsound mind”. It also included causing harm to mental health of a woman as a crime under Section 85 of the Bill.
- The Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023 and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita Bill, 2023 will also replace the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, respectively.
