Agartala, Sep 10 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Wednesday that the three new criminal laws will be of great use in the judicial process in the future ensuring transparency, citizen-friendly reforms.

After inaugurating the five-day state-level exhibition on the new criminal laws at the Indoor Exhibition Hall in Agartala, the Chief Minister said citizens have already benefited greatly from the implementation of these three new criminal laws.

The three new laws, Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), enacted last year, replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively, from July 1 this year.

CM Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that if work is not done on time, if justice is not delivered on time, people lose faith in the legal system.

“Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these groundbreaking laws were brought after the bills were passed in Parliament. An important discussion on the three new laws was held in Guwahati in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that during the meeting in Guwahati, the Union Home Minister asked what effective measures had been taken regarding the new criminal laws.

Claiming that Tripura is the only state in the country to have organised such an exhibition on the new criminal laws, he said that the state is at the forefront in many ways.

“Tripura ranks first or second position on many parameters. In the state, from officials to common citizens, everyone is aware of important issues. A lot of work is being done in this direction. We are also maintaining our good name at the national level and are honored on various occasions,” Saha said.

He said that this five-day exhibition has been organised to give people a detailed idea of what these three new criminal laws entail.

Reforms are now being carried out in all sectors, said Saha, adding that the previous governments did not take any initiative to change the colonial laws that have remained since the British era.

“That is what the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is now doing. The state government is also working in this direction. We have passed many de-regulations in the cabinet, and citizen-friendly laws have been implemented,” he said.

Saha added that the changes made in the new criminal laws have made processes easier and more effective.

Highlighting about the new laws, the Chief Minister said that it has also been stipulated that a person can submit a report electronically without physically attending a police station and this would ensure both transparency and speedy disposal.

Now, through Zero FIR, any citizen can file a complaint from anywhere. In addition, if any person is arrested, he can inform his closest or known person, if necessary.

The forensic team plays a particularly important role in investigating various incidents or crimes, he pointed out.

Saha further said that in the new criminal laws, priority has been given to cases concerning women and children. “It has been mandated that the investigation process must be completed within two months. Arrangements have also been made for free treatment in hospitals for women and children who are victims of crime,” he said.

MLA Mina Rani Sarkar, Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha, Director General of Police Anurag, Home Secretary Abhishek Singh, and other senior officials were present as distinguished guests at the event.

–IANS

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