Personnel posted across police stations and outposts in Assam, rather India, were waiting to ring out the old and ring in the new on July 1, 2024. The Indian Penal Code 1860; the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) 1898; and the Indian Evidence Act 1872 respectively, legacies of British India, were confined to the pages of history while Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS); Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) and the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) came into effect.
Personnel of the Sadar Thana in Nagaon on duty in the police station on the day were looking forward to experiencing the new vis-à-vis the old. They hardly had to wait for long. A person walked in and lodged a complaint that he had lost his mobile phone and ₹7000. His complaint attracted the provision of the new BNS Act and the BNSS Act. Later, it turned out to be the first case registered under the two Acts anywhere in Assam, something memorable for the modern history of Assam Police.
With new acts coming through, the Assam Police entrusted the Criminal Investigation Department with the training of police personnel on the three acts.
A senior official of CID, Pranabjyoti Goswami, told Asom Barta that these new acts were implemented to address the confusion arising out of the erstwhile British-era laws while keeping an eye on the context and reality of a new India. “We started training our personnel in February when we nominated 100 police personnel to train at the Central Detective Training Institute in Kolkata,” he said. This was followed by training of 15 personnel at the Central Academy for Police Training in Bhopal.
Nayan Jyoti Das, an inspector who was a beneficiary of the training in Bhopal, told this reporter that they were trained in the new set of laws by senior police personnel, lawyers and judges.
Muktajur Rahman, inspector of Assam Police, who was also trained in Bhopal, said that they were imparted training in gathering evidence, seizure, etc., which they had shared with colleagues, from time-to-time upon their return from Bhopal.
“So far, 2602 personnel have been trained physically and through the online method in various phases of training across the State,” said Goswami, adding that training in E-Sakshya apps has also been imparted.
These laws will have a significant impact. Because they are simple to interpret, they will help people make decisions to go ahead to enforce their legal rights. I must add that the training being imparted has been planned to perfection
-Ajit Bishoya, Public prosecutor (PP)
Munna Prasad Gupta, the Additional DGP, CID, told this newsletter that those trained in the new laws are very satisfied. He added that the CID’s focus on training the police on these laws will be unrelenting. He, however, said that a lot still needs to be covered regarding these laws but the going has been good thus far.
Ajit Bishoya, a public prosecutor (PP) in Morigaon, told this reporter, “These laws will have a significant impact. Because they are simple to interpret, they will help people make decisions to go ahead to enforce their legal rights. I must add that the training being imparted has been planned to perfection.”
Training and sensitisation of the police personnel about the new laws was taken up by the Home Ministry in tandem with Home Departments across all States and the Union Law Ministry. The target is to train 22 lakh police personnel across the country with the help of 12,000 master trainers who have already been appointed. Nearly 21,000 officers in Law Departments of State Governments have also been trained in the new laws, at times even in regional languages by specially appointed master trainers.
