Delhi Police register first FIR under new criminal law, later dismiss it after probe

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 1

The Delhi Police registered its first FIR under provisions of the new criminal code Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against a street vendor for allegedly obstructing a public way in central Delhi’s Kamala Market area at 1.30 am on Monday.

The BNS and two other new criminal laws came into effect on Monday.

A Sub-Inspector on patrol lodged the case under Section 285 of the BNS, which pertains to causing danger, obstruction, or injury to any person in a public way or public line of navigation. This section imposes a fine of up to Rs 5,000.

However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the Delhi’s case was not the first FIR registered in the country. He said the first case under the new laws was about a motorcycle theft registered in Gwalior at 10 minutes past midnight.

He also said the Delhi Police “dismissed” the case filed against a street vendor after an investigation. “By using the provisions of review, the police dismissed this case,” he told the mediapersons.

The BNS, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) replaced the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively.

Delhi Police sources said they would initiate the process of cancelling the FIR registered against the street vendor selling water and tobacco products from a cart that allegedly obstructed a public way in central Delhi’s Kamala Market area.

The police will have to inform the court for formally cancelling the FIR, the sources said.

The police said 23-year-old Pankaj Kumar, a native of Patna, was found selling water, bidi and cigarettes from a cart under a foot overbridge near the New Delhi railway station around 12.15 am.

The FIR said a patrol officer asked Kumar to move his makeshift cart away from the path as it was hindering people’s movement. The officer also asked four-five passersby to become witnesses, but they refused, the FIR stated.

After Kumar ignored the officer’s instructions, a case was registered. The patrol officer used the e-Pramaan app to record the seizures made, the FIR further stated.

The app, handled by the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch, will directly feed the content to police records for further investigation, an officer said.

The Delhi Police have imparted training to its 30,000 personnel — from the ranks of assistant sub-inspectors and inspectors to assistant commissioners and deputy commissioners — who are responsible for registering FIRs and conducting investigations.

(With PTI inputs)

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