WB Governor seeks report from state govt on objectives of panel set up to review criminal laws
West Bengal is the third state, after Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, that has set up a committee to amend the three criminal laws.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has sought a report from the Mamata Banerjee government over the objectives of the seven-member panel that was set up by the state on Wednesday to review the three new criminal laws.
The committee is headed by a former judge of the Calcutta high court to review the three new criminal laws – the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA).
“The West Bengal Governor has called upon the chief minister Mamata Banerjee to furnish an immediate report on the objectives of the committee for review of the amended CrPC, IPC and Evidence Act,” the Raj Bhavan said in a statement.
The state-constituted panel is headed by retired Justice Ashim Kumar Roy and includes state law minister Malay Ghatak, state finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, the state advocate general, senior standing counsel of West Bengal in Supreme Court Sanjay Basu, DGP of West Bengal and Kolkata Police Commissioner.
The committee will submit its findings within three months of the date of the notification, and may engage academic experts, senior advocates, research assistants and other legal experts. It can also carry out public consultation.
“The Governor wants a specific report on whether the West Bengal government responded to the proposal on time when asked for by the centre,” the Raj Bhavan stated.
In June, chief minister Mamata Banerjee had sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting him to defer the implementation of three criminal laws. Banerjee also sought further discussions on the three laws in Parliament.
On December 25, 2023, the President of India gave assent to the BNS, BSA and BNSS, and they took effect from July 1 this year.
West Bengal is the third state, after Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, that has set up a committee to amend the three criminal laws.