Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday, 21 August championed the three new criminal laws — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) — as a decisive break from India's colonial-era justice framework, calling them more transparent, technology-driven, and timeline-oriented. Shah made the remarks while addressing an exhibition in Kolkata showcasing the provisions of the three laws.

What the New Laws Introduce

Shah underscored that the reformed legal architecture prioritises victims over punishment — a structural departure from the system it replaces. Key provisions he highlighted include Zero FIR, E-FIR, electronic evidence, forensic evidence, and online court proceedings. 'The three new laws are intended to strengthen the protection of citizens, property and victims while speeding up the criminal justice process,' Shah said. 'At the same time, they are more victim-centric rather than punishment-centric, unlike the previous system.'

Shah's Attack on the Previous West Bengal Government

Shah levelled sharp criticism at the former Trinamool Congress (TMC) government led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing it of deliberately withholding the notification required to implement the three laws in West Bengal. 'The notification was not issued deliberately out of fear that the castles of corruption built by the previous ruling party would collapse in minutes following the implementation of the three new laws,' he alleged.

Shah claimed that the first official act of incoming Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari after assuming office was to sign the file implementing the new codes and retiring the British-era statutes. 'From there, the work of building trust instead of fear began,' he added.

Cases Cited as Evidence of Systemic Failure

The Home Minister went further, alleging that the previous TMC administration failed to conduct proper investigations in several high-profile cases. He specifically named the R.G. Kar rape and murder case, the Kasba Law College case, assaults on women at Sandeshkhali, and the Durgapur Medical College rape case as instances where, he claimed, investigations were inadequate. These references are likely to intensify the political battle between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the TMC ahead of the West Bengal assembly cycle.

Technology as the Backbone of Reform

Shah stressed that increased reliance on technology-based evidence collection would directly accelerate trial timelines. 'We are emphasising increased use of technology in the new code of justice so that the police can gather more technology-based evidence in their investigations. This will speed up the trial process,' he said. This comes amid a broader national push to reduce pendency in Indian courts, where millions of cases remain backlogged. The BNS, BNSS, and BSA replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act respectively, coming into force on 1 July 2024.

What Comes Next

With West Bengal now notified under the new framework, attention will turn to implementation on the ground — particularly whether forensic infrastructure and digital court systems are in place to deliver on the laws' promises. Critics and legal experts have previously argued that the success of the new codes depends less on legislative text and more on police training, forensic capacity, and judicial bandwidth.