Lucknow: The Lucknow Police Commissionerate has launched a massive training drive to educate its 8,000-9,000 police personnel on the newly enacted criminal laws. They have been tasked with disseminating this information to their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh.  

From July 1, three new criminal laws that seek to overhaul India’s criminal justice system will come into effect.

“While an intra-departmental training drive was organised for police personnel, social media is also being used to spread public awareness,” said Akash Kulhary, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime & HQ)/Police Commissionerate, Lucknow.

Shedding more light on it, Raveena Tyagi, DCP (Central) and the spokesperson of Lucknow Police said, “Given a large number of police personnel, the training program was conducted in both online and offline mode.”

The Union Home Ministry has announced that it will replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act. The new laws that will come into effect are the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA).

Henceforth, all First Information Reports (FIRs) of criminal offences will be registered under the BNS. All cases lodged under the BNS will have their prosecution and trial conducted by the timelines established by the BNSS. Electronic records or legally admissible evidence will be registered under the BSA.

From Constables to Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs), cops of different hierarchies are being trained as part of the exercise that will continue till the end of June.

“While many of our police personnel are being sent to Sitapur for the exercise, social media is also being used to educate zonal officials,” she added.

Lucknow Police put their ‘X’ handle to use to educate about 500,000 of their followers about the new laws. As such, they have started a video series titled ‘Lucknow Police Ki Pathshala’.

“Using small videos, we are trying to explain to the public the changed provisions for criminal punishments,” said Tyagi.

“Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, person/s involved in a crime of murder committed based on race, caste, gender or language may be awarded life imprisonment or death penalty and fines,” she explained.

“Since the elections were underway, the state police launched an online awareness drive for the public. Now that the elections are over, we will focus on physical campaigns and more resources will also be put to use,” the DCP said.

Kulhary said, “The offence of snatching has been introduced in the BNS. No provision in the IPC specifically dealt with snatching, which led the police to treat such cases as theft or robbery.

“The act of hiring, employing or engaging a child to commit an offence, has also been made punishable, which entails a punishment of imprisonment of a minimum of seven years and extendable up to ten years.”

JCP expressed that a provision has been added that aims to reduce the rising cases of hit-and-run. It will now be considered a punishable offence.

“Whoever causes the death of a person by doing anything rash or a negligent act and escapes the scene of the incident without informing either a police officer or Magistrate shall be punished with imprisonment of either the description of a term that may extend up to ten years and with fine,” he added. IANS