New criminal laws: Centre to train state police officials

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The central government will train the state police on the new criminal laws. The Bureau of Police Research and Development of the Ministry of Home Affairs will send trainers in this regard. The Crime Records Bureau will also be trained in scientific and digital evidence collection.

Kerala Kaumudi reported on December 24 that the police will have to practice the new criminal laws.

The Centre will appoint 3000 trainers to train the police in all states. Senior police officers will be taught first. Training will be at the Police Academy in Thrissur, the Police Training College in Thiruvananthapuram, and training centres in other districts. About 60,000 policemen from CPO to DGP are to be trained.

With the changes in the laws including the IPC, cops have to learn afresh the process from the time of registering an FIR. If there is a mistake in the sections of the FIR or if there is a failure in collecting evidence, it will affect the case and the accused may escape. A prosecution director will therefore be appointed in all districts to supervise the filing of charge-sheets and the prosecution of cases.

According to the new law, the charge sheet must be filed within 90 days. Later there may be a supplementary charge sheet. The electronic documents which were secondary evidence will now become primary evidence. Forensic, fingerprint, digital and cyber experts will be trained under the new Evidence Act.

3 rules have changed

1. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replaced the existing IPC from 1860

2. CRPC of 1898 replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita

3. Evidence Act since 1872 replaced by Bharatiya Sakshya