Three new criminal laws will be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir in April. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, announced this in the Lok Sabha while responding to a question regarding steps taken to enforce these laws in the region.
The new laws are Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA). These replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.
The minister said a Steering Committee, led by the Chief Secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, and an Empowered Committee, headed by the Director General of Police, have been set up. Training sessions are being conducted at the Police Academy, Police Training Institutes, District Police Lines, and Battalion Training Centres. "The translation of these laws into Urdu, Dogri, and Kashmiri has been completed," he said.
He added that the Jammu and Kashmir Police and other government departments are organising joint awareness programmes at all 282 administrative blocks twice a month, in the second and fourth weeks.
"All components of the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System (CCTNS), including e-Sakshya—an audio-video recording application for Investigating Officers—the dispatch of e-summons, SMS, and emails, have been activated," the minister said.
He said all necessary Rules, Notifications, and Administrative Orders related to these laws have been issued.
Training on these laws is ongoing. So far, 975 Gazetted Officers, 60,890 police personnel from the Jammu and Kashmir Police, and 254 Judicial Officers have been trained.So far, 191 Master Trainers have completed training under the Training of Trainers (ToT) programme along with 118 other personnel.
"Jammu and Kashmir Police are also using the iGoT Karmayogi platform. So far, 50,984 personnel have enrolled and completed 1,21,000 courses, including 1,10,773 focused on the new criminal laws," Rai said.
He said to monitor the implementation, review meetings are held fortnightly by the Chief Secretary and weekly by the Principal Secretary (Home), the Director General of Police, and senior police officials. Reports from these meetings are for internal government use.