The first FIR under the new criminal law Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 was registered against a street vendor in Kamla Market Police Station in New Delhi on Monday, July 1, news agency ANI reported.

The three new criminal laws came into effect across the country on Monday, and this was the first-ever case registered under one of the sections.

The case has been registered against the street vendor under Section 285 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for obstruction under footover bridge of New Delhi Railway Station and making sales. According to the FIR, the accused has been identified as Pankaj Kumar, a resident of Barh, Bihar.

The accused was allegedly selling water and tobacco on a cart near the main road in the Kamla Market area, which hindered and troubled commuters. The FIR said when patrolling officers asked Kumar to remove his cart, he ignored them. Subsequently, an FIR was registered.

The Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been replaced with the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the CrPC with Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Indian Evidence Act has been replaced with the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam.

As opposed to the IPC, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita has 358 sections. Twenty new crimes have been added to the Sanhita and the jail sentence for 33 crimes has been increased under the new criminal law.

Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the fine amount has been increased in 83 crimes and mandatory minimum punishment has been introduced in 23 crimes. The penalty for community service has been introduced in six crimes, and 19 sections have been repealed or removed from the Act.

All fresh FIRs will be registered against the new criminal laws from July 1. However, cases filed earlier will continue to be tried under the old laws till their final disposal.

The new laws plan to implement a modern justice system in India, bringing in provisions such as Zero FIR, online registration of police complaints, summonses through electronic modes such as SMS and mandatory videography of crime scenes for all heinous crimes.