New Delhi: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which was tabled by Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, reportedly aims to replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Among others, the new criminal law intends to include crimes such as ATM thefts, question-paper leaks, shoplifting, car theft, and other offenses under a particular section as ‘petty crimes’.
It may be noted that the IPC does not have specific provisions to deal with these offences. The existing legal framework categorises these crimes under the broader umbrella of ‘theft’ under Section 378.
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Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita | What will be defined a petty crimes
Under Section 110 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the ‘petty crimes’ will be defined as – ‘Theft of vehicle or from vehicle, theft.. of personal property, organised pick pocketing, snatching, theft through shoplifting/ card skimming and ATM thefts… or illegal selling of public exam papers… by organised criminal groups/ gangs’. Those found guilty under these charges will have to face imprisonment ranging from one to seven years.
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The bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Home Minister Amit Shah. It will be sent to the select committee for recommendations. Once cleared by both the Houses of the Parliament and following the nod from the President of India, the bill will become a law. The bill seeks to replace the 163-year-old IPC. The government intends to repeal and replace the existing British-era laws – Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act – with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
