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Murder

Revised Criminal Law Bills Introduced in Lok Sabha: Strengthening Laws Against Mob Lynching and Terrorism

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, has introduced revised versions of three criminal law Bills in Lok Sabha to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), 1860; The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (originally enacted in 1898); and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. The revised Bills aim to strengthen laws against mob lynching and terrorism. Key amendments include the extension of punishment for mob lynching from seven years to life imprisonment and the introduction of death penalty, as well as the expansion of the definition of terrorism to include damage or destruction of property in a foreign country.

Key Takeaways:

  • The revised Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023, prescribes a punishment for mob lynching that extends from life imprisonment to death.
  • The Bill expands the definition of terrorism to include causing damage or destruction of property in a foreign country, intended for the defence of India or any other governmental purpose.
  • The offence of terrorism is now expanded to include the detention, kidnapping, or abduction of a person to compel the Government of India, state governments, or foreign governments to do or abstain from doing any activity.
  • The revised Bill brings mob lynching and hate crime on the same footing as murder, carrying a life sentence.
  • The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) will be responsible for official documentation of incidents related to lynching and hate crimes.
  • The revised Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 reverts to using the phrase "unsound mind" as a defence for the accused, rather than "mental illness".
  • The Parliamentary panel had recommended reverting to the phrase "unsound mind" due to its more specific and precise meaning.

Statistics:

  • The punishment for mob lynching is extended from a minimum of seven years to life imprisonment and death under the revised Bill.
  • The revised Bill expands the definition of terrorism to include damage or destruction of property in a foreign country, affecting a larger scope of activities.

Sources:

  • "Amit Shah introduces three new bills in Lok Sabha to replace IPC, CrPC, and Indian Evidence Act". IE Online Media Services Pvt. Ltd., 2023, Copyright 2023.
  • "Parliamentary Panel Recommends Reverting to 'Unsound Mind' in IPC". Contify.com

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