A street vendor in Delhi's Kamala Nagar Market was booked on Monday under the newly-implemented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 law for allegedly obstructing the foot overbridge at New Delhi Railway Station and making sales.
According to reports, the vendor, identified as Pankaj Kumar from Barh, Bihar, was booked under Section 285 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita by Kamla Market Police Station.
The FIR notes that the vendor was selling tobacco and water from a cart near the main road, causing inconvenience to commuters. When police patrolling the area asked him to remove his cart, he ignored their request.
Three new criminal laws - the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam - come into effect today.
Despite objections from opposition parties and some social organisations, the laws have come into effect today. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam replace the colonial-era laws, namely the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Indian Evidence Act.
The Centre, in favour of the new laws, argues that they will ensure speedier justice. The provisions in the new laws are framed with modern-era crimes in mind.
With the implementation of the new laws, a judge will now be required to pronounce judgment within 45 days of the trial's completion, and charges must be framed within 60 days of the first hearing.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that this change aims to ensure "speedy justice and justice for all." He emphasized that proper implementation of these laws will require training and forensic teams, whose visits are now mandatory for offenses carrying a sentence of seven years or more.
Opposition parties, including the Congress, argue that the decision to implement the new criminal laws from July 1 was rushed. They believe more consultation was needed before enforcing them.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to delay the implementation of these "hurriedly passed" laws, suggesting that Parliament should review them again.
