Amit Shah Tables Three Bills In Lok Sabha To Provide Capital Punishment

With an aim to provide for capital punishment for mob lynching, sexual assaults on minors, and 20-year imprisonment for gang rape besides repeal of sedition offence, Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday bids adieu to the British era and presented Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill.

Shah placed Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Bill to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act.

Shah said the bills will be sent to a parliamentary panel for scrutiny. "The laws that will be repealed... the focus of those laws was to protect and strengthen the British administration, the idea was to punish and not to give justice. By replacing them, the new three laws will bring the spirit to protect the rights of the Indian citizen."

Shah said the aim will not be to punish but to provide justice. He underlined the bills will deal with matters of "terrorism, issues of mob-lynching and crime against women" with an iron fist.

He said they want to increase the conviction rate above 90%. "For any crime which has imprisonments above seven years, forensic teams should be there at the scene which will decrease the chance of a criminal getting acquitted."

Shah also added that they want to computerise all courts by 2027 and in case of rape cases, video recording of statements has been made compulsory.

Shah further asserted that the police would not be able to delay investigations anymore, charge sheets will have to be filed within 90 days of the lodging of the complaints.

"The investigation will have to be completed within 180 days in all cases. The judge will have to give verdicts within 30 days of framing of charges."