By TIOL News Service

NEW DELHI, AUG 05, 2024: UNION Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, yesterday launched the e-Sakshya, Nyaya Setu, Nyaya Shruti and e-Summon apps for the three new criminal laws in Chandigarh. The Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Gulab Chand Kataria, and the Union Home Secretary were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.

In his address, Amit Shah said that everyone present here today has witnessed the implementation of the biggest reform of the 21st century. He said three new laws brought in by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji - Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nyaya Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA)- have the fragrance of Indianness and our ethos of justice. He said that it is the responsibility of the Constitution to give justice to every person and our criminal justice system is the means to bring this spirit of the Constitution to reality.

Union Home Minister said that laws made 150 years ago cannot remain relevant today. He said that there is a vast difference between the objectives of 1860 and today's India, and interests of rulers of those times and the objectives of our Constitution today, but the machinery of implementation has remained the same. He said that for years, people did not get justice, instead the justice system was blamed for only giving newer dates of hearing. Shah added that gradually the trust of the people on our systems was getting eroded. That is why Modi government has done the work of implementing BNS instead of IPC, BNSS instead of CrPC and BSA instead of Evidence Act, he said.

Amit Shah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken of Panch Pran from the ramparts of the Red Fort, one of which was to abolish all signs of slavery. He said that BNS, BNSS and BSA are laws made by the elected representatives of the people in the Indian Parliament and for the people of India. Shah said that there is precedence to justice than punishment in the new laws, and are aimed at giving justice to the people, that is why they are not penal code but ‘Nyaya Sanhita'.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that after the full implementation of these laws, India will have the most modern and technology-enabled criminal justice system in the whole world. For this, he said, the Ministry of Home Affairs has made arrangements for training and skill development at various levels. He said that even before these laws were enacted, a decision was taken to set up a Forensic Science University and today forensic science universities are functioning in eight states of the country and forensic experts have started to be made available. He said that forensic science universities will be opened in eight more states, which will provide 36 thousand forensic experts annually.

Amit Shah said that these laws provide for mandatory visits by a forensic team in offences carrying a punishment of seven years or more and technical evidence will also help in increasing the proof of conviction. He said that a Director of Prosecution has been arranged in these cases who will continuously monitor the entire process of prosecution. He said that the entire chain of Directors of Prosecution up to the district and tehsil level has been prepared and their powers have also been fixed.

Union Home Minister said that the technical capacity of our entire system will have to be increased for its complete implementation. He said that today e-Sakshya, Nyaay Setu, Nyaay Shruti and e-Summon apps have been launched. He said that under e-Sakshya, all videography, photography and testimonies will be saved on the e-evidence server, which will also be available in the courts immediately. Under the e-Summon, it will be sent electronically from the court to the police station and also to the person to whom the summons is to be sent. Police, Medical, Forensic, Prosecution and Prisons are interlinked together on the Nyaay Setu Dashboard, which will provide the police with all the information related to the investigation in just one click. Through Nyaay Shruti, the court will be able to hear witnesses through video conferencing. This will save time and money and also settle the cases faster.

Amit Shah said that the Modi government has taken many initiatives for the smooth implementation of these three new laws. He said that a lot of work has been done from CCTNS to training of SHOs and integration of FSL. He said that technology has been made the main pillar of this entire system. He said that in Chandigarh alone, 22 IT specialists and 125 data analysts have been placed. 107 new computers, speakers and two web cameras have been installed in all police stations, 170 tablets, 25 mobile phones and 144 new IT constables have been recruited. Shah said that the first administrative unit in the country is likely to be Chandigarh having 100% implementation of the new criminal laws. Shah said that those who imbibe the teachings of Swami Vivekananda, from ‘self' to ‘selflessness', are the real wisemen, and our cyber-soldiers have worked to realise it.

Union Home Minister said that our campaign against drug addiction is not just a government campaign but it is a campaign to get our new generation out of drug addiction. He said that by removing the stigma of those who are in the grip of drugs and their families, we should treat this disease and spread awareness about it.

Amit Shah said that through these three new laws, India's criminal justice system is witnessing the biggest reform of the 21st century. He said that technology has been included in these laws in such a way that it will cater to the requirements of the next 50 years. Shah said that citizen-centric laws have been made according to the spirit of our Constitution and after their full implementation, it will be possible to get judgement up to Supreme Court within three years.

Union Home Minister said that citizens have as much responsibility to bring awareness about these laws as the Ministry of Home Affairs, state governments or judges. The Home Minister requested the people of Chandigarh to seek official clarification from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India or the Chandigarh Administration on the misconceptions being spread about these laws. He appealed to everyone to stay away from rumours and make active and constructive contributions towards the implementation of these laws.