Assam: Media persons briefed on new criminal laws during workshop in Guwahati

Guwahati: The Guwahati unit of the Press Information Bureau (PIB), under the Union Ministry of Information & Broadcasting (I&B), in collaboration with the Assam Police on Tuesday organised a workshop for Assam’s Guwahati-based media persons to brief about the new criminal laws.

The workshop aimed to equip the journalists with insights into the new criminal laws – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) replacing the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) replacing the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) replacing the Indian Evidence Act (IEA), which will come into force from July 1, 2024.

Assam Director General of Police (DGP) Gyanendra Pratap Singh, who graced the occasion as the chief guest, said that the implementation of the new laws is a momentous occasion and the Assam Police is fully prepared to implement them.

“Around 200 officers of the Assam Police have already received training on criminal forensic science. The officers are trained on the applicability of the new laws and how they should perceive them while dealing with the crime and case related to it. Over 500 officers will be trained over a period of few months. These criminal laws are updated to the needs and requirements of the changing times,” DGP Singh said.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Assam, Munna Prasad Gupta, delivered an in-depth analysis of the reforms in the criminal laws and their implications. He shared a presentation on the new criminal laws and highlighted the changes in these three laws.

“Major changes have been made in the criminal laws and more focus now will be on the rights of the victims, especially women and children. The use of technology in the judicial system and community service has been introduced in the new laws for punishing the offenders committing petty crimes. The new laws will focus on justice rather than punishment and are aimed at providing speedy justice,” ADGP Gupta said.  

The senior cop informed that these laws will make the justice process hassle free wherein digital evidence has come at par with physical evidence. He said that from now cloud storage of a video would be the primary evidence.

Director General (DG), Northeast Zone of I&B ministry, K. Satish Nambudiripad, talked about how the philosophy and approach in the criminal justice system has changed and now it will be more accessible to the people. He highlighted the vital role played by the journalists in creating awareness among the public at large to understand and interpret events happening around.

The workshop, attended by journalists from several media outlets, provided a platform for interactive sessions and clarifications on the practical applications of the new laws.