Guwahati, Assam has registered the first case under the provisions of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita in Nagaon district, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Monday.
He was registered at 12.32 pm at Nagaon Sadar police station, he said at a press conference here.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam came into force across the country from Monday, replacing the British-era Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act respectively.
Replacing colonial laws is of particular importance for Assam as "we fought against child marriage and had to take the help of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act to overcome interpretation of laws Islamic". for the last year and a half, he said.
"According to the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, even consensual sexual relations before the age of 18 amount to rape and are punished accordingly," Sarma said.
The minimum age for consensual sexual relations for married women has been raised from 15 to 18 years, the CM said.
This new clause will help tackle cases of child marriage and prove to be a deterrent to those involved in this social menace, Sarma said.
"Colonial laws have been replaced and 115 expert trainers of Assam Police have been working for the past few months to achieve a smooth transition," he said.
More than 500 police officers have been trained at the Gandhinagar Forensic University.
"The state government has set up five forensic laboratories as forensic tests are mandatory under the new laws," Sarma said.
The Prime Minister said July 1 will become an important milestone in India's history as a "step towards decolonizing the nation's laws. Our criminal laws will be democratised."
"We have to sensitize the judiciary and police along with other stakeholders, including the people of the state, so that we can be proud of our criminal justice system," he added.
He was registered at 12.32 pm at Nagaon Sadar police station, he said at a press conference here.
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam came into force across the country from Monday, replacing the British-era Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Indian Evidence Act respectively.
Replacing colonial laws is of particular importance for Assam as "we fought against child marriage and had to take the help of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act to overcome interpretation of laws Islamic". for the last year and a half, he said.
"According to the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, even consensual sexual relations before the age of 18 amount to rape and are punished accordingly," Sarma said.
The minimum age for consensual sexual relations for married women has been raised from 15 to 18 years, the CM said.
This new clause will help tackle cases of child marriage and prove to be a deterrent to those involved in this social menace, Sarma said.
"Colonial laws have been replaced and 115 expert trainers of Assam Police have been working for the past few months to achieve a smooth transition," he said.
More than 500 police officers have been trained at the Gandhinagar Forensic University.
"The state government has set up five forensic laboratories as forensic tests are mandatory under the new laws," Sarma said.
The Prime Minister said July 1 will become an important milestone in India's history as a "step towards decolonizing the nation's laws. Our criminal laws will be democratised."
"We have to sensitize the judiciary and police along with other stakeholders, including the people of the state, so that we can be proud of our criminal justice system," he added.
