Union HM Amit Shah Introduces Amended Bills to Replace IPC, CrPC & Evidence Act

In the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Home Minister Amit Shah introduced three amended criminal law bills, namely ‘The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, 2023,’ ‘The Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill, 2023,’ and ‘Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita, 2023.’

These bills are set to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC) of 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) of 1973, and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.

The Home Minister withdrew the three bills that had been previously passed during the monsoon session of Parliament. Shah explained that the withdrawal occurred as a result of certain necessary changes, indicating that the bills had undergone examination by the Standing Committee. Instead of presenting official amendments, it was decided to reintroduce the bills.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury proposed further scrutiny of the bills, to which Amit Shah responded that the Standing Committee had already examined them. He assured members that they would have adequate time for study. The debate on the bills is scheduled for Thursday, with Shah intending to provide replies on Friday.

The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita 2023, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita 2023, and Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill 2023 are designed to replace the IPC, CrPC, and the Evidence Act, respectively. These bills were initially introduced in the lower House of Parliament on August 11 and were subsequently referred to the Standing Committee for evaluation.