Bhubaneswar, March 5 Union Home Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to inaugurate a three-day exhibition on the new criminal laws, organized by the Odisha Police here on Friday, Director General of Police (DGP) Y B Khurania said.
The ‘Nyaya Sanhita Exhibition’, to be inaugurated in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, aims to raise awareness about India's reforms in criminal laws and the transformation of the criminal justice system, the DGP told reporters.
It will help citizens understand the new criminal laws – the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) – which together represent the most comprehensive reform of criminal laws in independent India, Khurania said.
These new laws, which came into effect on July 1, 2024, replaced the earlier colonial-era legal framework consisting of the Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure, and Indian Evidence Act.
The exhibition will remain open to the public from March 7 to March 10.
Besides inaugurating the exhibition, Shah, who is scheduled to arrive here on Thursday evening on a two-day visit to Odisha, will also attend several other official programmes.
During the programme, Shah will also inaugurate 20 new cyber police stations virtually, the DGP said.
“We have noticed an improvement in conviction rate in every passing month after the new laws came into force. I hope that the conviction rate will improve further in the coming days,” Khurania said.
Special focus has been given in the new criminal laws to deal with crimes against women and children, the DGP said, noting that the police department has rescued more than 5,000 missing women and children during a special drive in January.
He said the police have taken steps to strengthen the forensic laboratories in the state with the deployment of additional manpower and modern equipment.
Khurania also spoke about the ongoing ‘Operation Cyber Kavach’ to crack down on cyber fraudsters, an enforcement drive against illegal transport of ganja and other narcotic substances.
