Parliament passed a comprehensive package of amendments to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita on Friday after two days of heated debate, clearing changes that reduce the maximum permissible period of undertrial detention for non-serious offences from two years to one year, mandate video-recorded confessions admissible as evidence in courts, and create a dedicated fast-track system for petty offences with a target of disposal within 60 days. Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal called the reforms the most significant modernisation of the criminal procedure system since independence.
The Opposition broadly supported the goal of reducing undertrial detention, which currently accounts for 76% of India jail population, but raised concerns about safeguards against misuse of expanded police powers for electronic surveillance. Civil liberties organisations called for clearer judicial oversight mechanisms. The amendments will require corresponding changes to state-level criminal rules and are expected to be notified in phases over 18 months. Legal experts said effective implementation will depend on digitisation of courts and capacity building of police and prosecution, where significant gaps remain.
