J&K, Ladakh Achieve Major Milestone in Implementation of New Criminal Laws: MHA
Entire Police Force, Judiciary, Prosecutors and Forensic Officials Trained; Digital Criminal Justice System Fully Operational Across UTs
JAMMU, July 23 (KNC): Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh have achieved a significant milestone in the implementation of India’s three new criminal laws, with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) informing Parliament that the criminal justice systems in both UTs are now largely equipped and trained to enforce the new legal framework effectively.
According to the written reply tabled in Parliament by Minister of State for Home Affairs Sanjay Kumar, extensive capacity-building programmes have been completed across all five pillars of the criminal justice system—Police, Prisons, Prosecution, Judiciary and Forensic Science. The reforms are backed by advanced digital technologies aimed at making criminal investigations and judicial processes faster, more transparent and citizen-centric.
The Ministry stated that the three new criminal laws—Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA)—replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and Indian Evidence Act, and came into force across the country on July 1, 2024.
In Jammu and Kashmir, all 74,004 police personnel have completed specialised training under the new criminal laws. Besides, all 261 prosecutors, 286 judicial officers and 33 forensic experts have also undergone the required training, while the remaining prison officials are expected to complete the process shortly.
Similarly, Ladakh has completed the training of its entire police force comprising 2,345 personnel, along with all prosecutors and prison officials. Nearly all judicial officers and forensic experts in the Union Territory have also completed the mandatory capacity-building programmes, reflecting a high level of preparedness.
The MHA further informed Parliament that implementation of the new criminal laws is being supported by a comprehensive digital ecosystem, including e-FIRs, electronic summons, audio-video recording of searches and investigations, e-Sakshya for digital witness statements, Nyaya Shruti for video conferencing in courts, MedLeaPR for medico-legal reports, and the Inter-Operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) for seamless digital exchange of case records among police, courts, prisons, prosecution and forensic laboratories.
The Ministry also highlighted that the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) has played a key role in strengthening implementation by training 83,740 officers and stakeholders nationwide since 2024 and launching 110 e-learning courses, including 76 dedicated to the new criminal laws, on the iGOT Karmayogi platform.
Reaffirming its commitment to modernising the criminal justice system, the MHA stated that financial assistance is being extended to States and Union Territories through schemes such as ICJS 2.0, modernisation of forensic infrastructure and projects funded under the Nirbhaya Fund. It also assured Parliament that crime statistics will remain consistent despite the legal transition, as reporting formats have been suitably modified to maintain continuity and comparability with previous records. (KNC)
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