Ensure terror provisions in new laws are not misused: Amit Shah tells J&K admin
Union home minister Amit Shah said with the decline in terror activities and improvement in security scenario in J&K, the police should now prioritise safeguarding the rights of its citizens
New Delhi: Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to ensure that provisions related to terrorism and organised crime in the new criminal laws are not misused and any decision on invoking these provisions should be taken only after thorough scrutiny.
The home minister was chairing a meeting in Delhi to review the implementation of three laws – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, which were implemented from July 1 last year, replacing the colonial-era laws – Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act.
Among those who attended the meeting include Lt governor Manoj Sinha, chief minister Omar Abdullah, Union home secretary Govind Mohan, and chiefs of J&K police, Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D), National Crimes Records Bureau (NCRB) and senior officers of the Union home ministry and the Union Territory.
“Shah said that decisions on provisions related to terrorism and organised crime should be taken only after thorough scrutiny at the level of Superintendent of Police. He added that strict monitoring is required to ensure that these provisions under the new laws are not misused,” the home ministry said in a statement, quoting Shah.
He further said that “with the decline in terror activities and improvement in security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir, the police should now prioritize safeguarding the rights of its citizens.”
“During the discussions in the meeting, Shah asked the UT administration to ensure full implementation of the three new criminal laws, made under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Jammu and Kashmir by April 2025. He said that optimum use of technology should be made to ensure speedy justice under the three new criminal laws,” the MHA said.
For the full implementation of the new laws, Shah added, “it is imperative to change the attitude of the police personnel and the administration and create awareness about the new laws among the citizens.”
The home minister also said that there is an urgent need to use the provision of trial in absentia clause (in the new laws) in the Union Territory.
“Shah stressed on the need to fix responsibility of police officers to expedite the process of filing chargesheets. He said that every police station in Jammu and Kashmir should put the maximum use of the National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (NAFIS) into practice. He said that 100% training of investigating officers regarding the provisions of the new laws should be ensured, at the earliest,” the MHA added.
Praising the J&K administration for having done satisfactory work towards the implementation of the new criminal laws despite difficult circumstances, Shah said “the progress of implementation of the three new laws should be reviewed on a monthly, fortnightly and weekly basis at the level of the CM, chief secretary and the Director General of Police, respectively”.
