Shah Tables New Drafts on Criminal Bills

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday withdrew the three bills to replace criminal laws and introduced a fresh set of draft legislation incorporating the recommendations of a parliamentary panel in the Lok Sabha. Introducing the three redrafted bills, Mr Shah said that instead of bringing several official amendments to incorporate recommendations of the parliamentary committee on home affairs, the government decided to bring fresh bills incorporating changes. The Union home minister, in three identically signed statements submitted to Parliament on Monday, said the decision to withdraw the three bills and introduce them afresh was taken after the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs made recommendations suggesting changes in the three bills following a series of discussions with domain experts and various stakeholders. In the statement for withdrawal, Mr Shah said that to make comprehensive amendments to the Indian Penal Code 1860, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill 2023 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on August 11 to repeal and replace the IPC. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Bill, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam Bill seek to replace the Code of Criminal Procedure Act 1898, the Indian Penal Code 1860, and the Indian Evidence Act 1872, respectively, on August 11 this year and these bills were sent to the parliamentary standing committee on home affairs for wider scrutiny.