Delhi Police developing app to convert old criminal laws into new ones

PTI, Jul 3, 2024, 9:42 AM IST

New Delhi: The Delhi Police is developing a dedicated application for its personnel to display the corresponding sections under the new criminal laws on entering the old sections, official sources said on Monday.

“For example, in case of a murder, if you enter section 302 under the IPC, the app will display the corresponding section 103 under the BNS,” an official said.

Three new criminal laws came into effect in the country on Monday, bringing far-reaching changes in India’s criminal justice system.

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

According to a police officer, the application is being developed for the internal use of the force, where the personnel will not only get to know the sections, but also the procedure of conducting the legal processes, according to the new law.

Apart from altering the sections, about 20 new crimes have been added under the new laws and in 33 criminal cases, the quantum of punishment has been increased.

An officer said the Delhi Police has distributed a booklet about the new criminal laws to its personnel.

But investigators needed the information about the laws in a more handy manner, and the app is being developed for this purpose, the officer said. It can convert the older sections into the new ones in just one click, he added.

The application, named ‘Sanchiptt’, is in the initial stage, which may be changed before it gets the final approval from Delhi Police chief Sanjay Arora, a source said.

Delhi Police registered its first FIR under provisions of the BNS against a street vendor for allegedly obstructing a public way in central Delhi’s Kamala Market on Monday.

So far, the Delhi Police has imparted training to its 30,000 personnel — from the ranks of assistant sub-inspectors and inspectors to assistant commissioners and deputy commissioners — who are responsible for registering FIRs and conducting investigations.

The force was among the first in the country to start training personnel on the new criminal laws, the officials said.