Over 5.56 lakh FIRs registered under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita since July 1
New Delhi (PTI): Over 5.56 lakh First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered across the country under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) ever since its introduction on July 1, a senior official said on Wednesday.
For smooth implementation of the new criminal laws, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also developed several mobile applications, including e-Sakshya for capturing, storing and retrieving evidence through videography and photography.
The app has been adopted by 22 states and Union Territories and tested by 24 states and UTs.
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Act replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872 respectively.
Since July 1 till September 3, a total of 5.56 lakh FIRs have been registered in the country under the BNS, the officer said, highlighting the achievements of the home ministry in the first 100 days of the Modi 3.0 government.
Software patches have been designed and deployed in the Inter-operable Criminal Justice System (ICJS) pillar applications to incorporate the new criminal laws.
The key changes in the CCTNS (Crime and Criminal Tracking Network and Systems) include e-Prisons, e-Forensics, e-Prosecution, use of audio-video electronic means and electronic communication among others as per the new criminal laws.
Application patches of CCTNS/ICJS (23 patches developed by the NCRB), e-Forensics (6 patches developed by the NIC), e-Prosecution (7 patches developed by NIC) and e-Prisons (9 patches developed by the NIC) for implementation new criminal laws shared with all the states and UTs, another official said.
A mobile and web application, NCRB SANKALAN of Criminal Laws, has been designed to help the users navigate the new criminal laws and till date has been downloaded approximately 5.85 lakh times.
The home ministry has set up a CCTNS technical support call centre with helpline number (14415) to assist the states and UTs.
Another app, Nyay Shruti, has been launched for efficient and secure communication between all pillars of ICJS ecosystem.
Testing has been done on e-Summons application which will facilitate the electronic delivery of summons and warrants from the courts to police stations, and subsequently to the concerned individuals which has been shared with all the states and UTs for their usage.
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Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday expressed strong dissatisfaction with the FIR registered by the state police against BJP Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah over his controversial remarks against Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, calling it deficient in crucial legal elements. The court has now decided to monitor the police investigation to ensure it proceeds fairly and without external influence.
A division bench of Justices Atul Sreedharan and Anuradha Shukla noted that the FIR lacked any substantive mention of the suspect’s actions that would establish the offences under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), specifically Sections 152, 196(1)(b), and 197(1)(c). These provisions relate to acts endangering national sovereignty, disturbing communal harmony, and threatening national integration.
The court observed that Paragraph 12 of the FIR merely reproduced the court's previous order without laying down how the minister's comments constituted the registered offences. “The FIR has been registered in such a manner... so that if it is challenged under erstwhile Section 482 CrPC, the same may be quashed as it is deficient in material particulars,” the bench remarked.
To prevent what it called a "subterfuge", the court directed that its full order dated May 14 be treated as part of the FIR. The court stated it would now monitor the investigation to ensure it is conducted lawfully and impartially.
The controversy stems from Vijay Shah’s statement, where he appeared to link Col. Qureshi, a senior officer of the Indian Armed Forces, to terrorists by referring to her as their “sister”. His comments were made in the context of Operation Sindoor, a military operation against Pakistani terror targets, during which Col. Qureshi had served as a spokesperson.
“Jinhone humari betiyon ke sindoor ujade the… humne unhiki behen bhej kar ke unki aisi ki taisi karwayi,” Shah had said, a remark the court found to be not only disparaging but dangerous and communal.
The High Court had earlier called the minister's language “gutter-level” and condemned his innuendos against a decorated military officer, stating that such remarks “encourage feelings of separatist activities by imputing separatist feeling to anyone who is Muslim, thereby endangering the sovereignty or unity and integrity of India.”
Following the High Court’s stern direction, Shah issued a public apology on social media, calling Col. Sofiya Qureshi “the nation’s sister.” The state government also posted on its official handle that it was taking appropriate action in compliance with the court’s order.
However, the court made it clear that it was not satisfied with the FIR's content and expressed concern that it was framed in a way that could undermine its legal sustainability.
Meanwhile, Vijay Shah has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Madhya Pradesh High Court’s suo motu direction for registering an FIR against him.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi had become a prominent face of the Indian Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor, regularly briefing the media on military actions against terror camps in Pakistan. Her professionalism and presence made her a symbol of national service and unity, leading to outrage after Shah’s disparaging remark.
The High Court has listed the matter for further hearing immediately after the court vacation. The bench emphasized that its monitoring would not interfere with the autonomy of the investigating agency, but would ensure justice is not subverted by procedural lapses or political pressure.
