Focus on ‘nyay’ instead of ‘dand’: Amit Shah details 3 new criminal laws

Union home minister Amit Shah highlighted the new criminal laws’ focus on justice over penal action, replacing colonial-era legislation. Effective Monday, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) modernize India’s criminal justice system. These laws replace the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act. Shah emphasized that the 15-day police remand remains unchanged, and the first BNS case, a motorcycle theft, was registered in Gwalior.