Sanjay Kumar Pandey
Ranchi EW Correspondent : The Press Information Bureau (PIB), under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, organized a discussion program at the Ranchi Press Club. The workshop saw the participation of a large number of journalists, legal experts, and police officers. The event commenced with the ceremonial lighting
of the lamp, followed by the formal felicitation of the guests with bouquets, shawls, and mementos. Professor Ashok R. Patil, Vice-Chancellor of the National University of Study and Research in
Law (NUSRL), Ranchi, addressed the gathering as the chief guest. He stated that the new Indian Justice Code, the Indian Civil Protection
Code, and the Indian Evidence Act, set to be implemented from July 1, 2024 take significant care of the victims’ side. He explained that
the creation of these three new laws involved consultations with professors from major law colleges across the country, researchers,
142 MPs from various parties, 272 MLAs, and the general public. Professor Patil emphasized the importance of forensic science and forensic investigation in the new laws and urged state governments to establish robust forensic investigation systems. In his keynote address, PIB’s Additional Director General, Shri Akhil Kumar Mishra, highlighted that the new laws retain essential provisions of the old laws while eliminating unnecessary ones. He stressed the inclusion of technology to meet modern demands and appealed to media personnel to disseminate information about these laws widely.
Senior Assistant Professor Shubham Srivastava from NUSRL Ranchi, speaking as an expert, discussed the changes in the old Indian Penal Code, Evidence Act and Code of Criminal Procedure. He highlighted that the new provisions give special attention to women and children.
He noted that the traditional requirement to physically visit a police station to file an FIR has been replaced by provisions for electronic
filing, providing significant relief. Additionally, the restriction of filing an FIR only at the jurisdictional police station has been removed, allowing victims to file an FIR at any police station in the
country. City DSP of Ranchi, Kumar Venkatesh Raman, compared the provisions of the new Indian Justice Code with the soon-to-be-phased-out Indian Penal Code (IPC). He mentioned that some
new crimes have been included, and some old crimes, such as the attempt to commit suicide, are no longer considered offenses. For minor offenses, the new law emphasizes social service or community service as a form of punishment. He also noted a stricter stance on mob lynching and organized crime. Assistant Professor Utkarsh Verma from NUSRL Ranchi, speaking as an expert, discussed several key features of the new laws. He emphasized that no crime should go uninvestigated and that victims have the right to contact the Superintendent of Police if an FIR is not registered. The SP can then investigate the crime themselves or instruct a subordinate officer to do so. Verma also highlighted the solid steps taken in the new laws to create a victim-friendly environment, particularly for vulnerable groups like rape victims. In his welcome speech, department officer
Rajesh Sinha introduced the guests and highlighted some points of the new laws. He mentioned that significant timelines have been introduced
to reduce delays caused by stalling tactics by accused persons, ensuring a swift and effective justice system. The program was conducted by Regional Publicity Officer Omkar Nath Pandey, while the vote of thanks was given by Regional Publicity Officer and PIB Ranchi head Gaurav Kumar Pushkar. A Q&A session followed the lunch, where
journalists asked various questions, which were duly answered.
