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Law and Order

Law and Order

Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956

Recently the Kerala High Court ruled that a customer in a brothel can be charged under the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956. What is the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act, 1956? Human trafficking – Forced or illegal transfer of people for the purpose of labour or other illegal activities. Under Article 23 (1) of Indian constitution, trafficking in human beings or persons is prohibited in India. Passed in – 1956, as All India Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act (SITA) in pursuance of the International Convention signed by India in 1950, for the prevention of immoral traffic. Objective – To prevent the commercialisation of vices and the trafficking of females.…

08 January, 2024 Law and Order

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Act, 2023

President gives assent to 3 Criminal Law amendment bills, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. What are the significant take aways from the new act? Addition – 20 new offences have been added. Deletion – 19 provisions that existed in IPC have been deleted. Punishment of imprisonment – It has been increased in 33 offences. Punishment of fine – It has been enhanced in 83 offences. Punishment of 'community service' – It has been introduced in 6 offences. Mandatory minimum punishment – It has been introduced in 23 offences. Reorganisation of offences are made wherein similar provisions have been clubbed together. What are the major changes in the…

30 December, 2023 Law and Order

Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) 2022

According to the Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India (ADSI) 2022 report, India reported over 1.7 lakh suicides in 2022. Released by – National Crime Record Bureau’s (NCRB) Maximum suicides – Maharashtra tops followed by Tamil Nadu Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Telangana. No suicides of Farmers & Agricultural Laborers – 8 states and 4 UT’s. Women status – Around 48,000 women died by suicide. Among women suicides, homemakers were highest (about 14% of in total suicides) followed by students and daily wage earners.. Trans-persons – 28 were reported to have died by suicide. Causes – Family problems and illness together accounted for almost 50% of all suicides followed by drug abuse, alcohol addiction, marriage related issues,…

06 December, 2023 Law and Order

Collection of Voice Samples

Collection of Voice Samples A political figure recently came before the Central Bureau of Investigation to provide voice samples for a speech about his suspected role in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case. With the ability to identify individuals and verify evidence, voice samples have grown to be a crucial tool in criminal investigations. The procedure for gathering voice samples In order to obtain consent to record someone's voice for the sake of a case, an investigating agency typically goes to court. This type of forensic investigation is employed to support other evidence in the case. For a controlled and noise-free…

19 April, 2023 Law and Order

Mob lynching and Cow Vigilantism

Mob lynching and Cow Vigilantism The recent lynching and burning of two men in Haryana on the basis of allegations of unlawful cow slaughter, smuggling, or transportation bring attention to the problem of mob lynching. About cow vigilantism: Mob attacks carried out in the guise of "cow protection" primarily target Muslims, Dalits, and tribals. Cases of alleged cow vigilantism Rajasthan - A group of accused cow vigilantes killed a dairy farmer from Haryana by beating him to death. A 15-year-old Muslim boy from Haryana was stabbed in a train, allegedly for eating beef. A Dalit family in Gujarat was publicly…

07 March, 2023 Law and Order

Obscenity Laws in India

Obscenity Laws in India The Advocate recently filed a police report against Urfi Javed for roaming the streets of Mumbai and exposing her body. India's Obscenity Laws: Sections 292, 293, and 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deal with the offense of obscenity. According to Section 292, any content is declared obscene if it is lascivious or appeals to the prurient interest, or if its effect is to deprave and corrupt persons likely to read, view, or hear the content. This provision makes it illegal to sell or publish any indecent booklet, book, paper, painting, or other media. Section…

10 January, 2023 Law and Order

Village Defence Committees

Village Defence Committees Kashmir and Jammu L-G Manoj Sinha have declared that the UT would establish Village Defense Guards(VDG). The Union Ministry of Home Affairs gave its approval to the plan to establish VDGs in J&K's at-risk districts. JK Village Defense Committee (VDC): What Is It? As a force multiplier against militant attacks, the Village Defense Committees were first established in the former Doda district (now Kishtwar, Doda, and Ramban districts) in the middle of the 1990s. The Village Defense Committee (VDCs) have now been renamed as Village Defence Guards(VDG). The Village Defence Guards (VDG) will receive a gun and…

09 January, 2023 Law and Order

Narco Test

Narco Test It has recently come to the spotlight after a Delhi Court ordered a Narco Test for Aaftab Amin Poonawala in the bone-chilling Shradha Walkar killing case. The Court took into consideration international norms on human rights, the Right to a fair trial, and the Right against self-incrimination under Article 20(3) of the Constitution. What is a Narco Test? In a narco or narco-analysis test: a drug called sodium pentothal is injected into the body of the accused, which transports them to a hypnotic or sedated state, in which their imagination is neutralised. In this hypnotic state, the accused…

25 November, 2022 Law and Order

One Country, One Uniform for the police

One Country, One Uniform for the police One nation, one police uniform is a recent idea put forth by the Prime Minister. Terrorism & Naxalism: The PM also reiterated the necessity of eradicating the underground network of terrorism, saying that it is urgent for everyone to band together and take control of the situation. The number of Naxal-affected districts in the nation has significantly decreased, he added, over the past eight years. We now need to concentrate on achieving rapid growth in each of these sectors, including infrastructure. Appeal of Nagaland: The Deputy Chief Minister of Nagaland expressed his hope…

29 October, 2022 Law and Order

Hate Speech in the Media

Hate Speech in the Media The "visual media" has recently been referred to as the "primary medium of hate speech" by the Supreme Court. Details about the news The bench was hearing a number of petitions over alleged hate speech on several TV programs. The petitioners have asked the court to order the Center to take action to reduce instances of such speech. The SC stated that it will take into account establishing some rules to level the playing field till the legislature creates a statute on the subject. Hate speech: What Is It? The notion of what constitutes "hate…

23 September, 2022 Law and Order

Muslim Women Rights Day to celebrate Triple Talaq law

Muslim Women Rights Day on 1st August to celebrate TRIPLE TALAQ law GS-Paper-2 Governance Women and law First, watch this lecture by Ankit Sir on Triple Talaq Bill and only then you'll be able to retain these topics efficiently.  The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 became the first legislation to be tabled in Parliament by the Narendra Modi dispensation in its second term, with Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting the legislation was a must for gender equality and justice. The bill was introduced following a division of votes, with 186 members supporting and 74 opposing it. The bill…

01 August, 2021 Law and Order

Sedition and freedom of speech

Sedition and freedom of speech Introduction The Supreme Court’s rulings on cases of sedition give hope the law will be re-examined What constitutes a sedition Mere criticism: It has long been recognised that strident criticism of the government will not amount to an attempt to excite disaffection and disloyalty towards government. Colonial legacy: The archaic and colonial view that an intemperate attack on an incumbent ruler should be met with fierce prosecution for sedition prevails among many in power even today. Case Study: (A case of sedition in Himachal Pradesh) In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court has quashed a…

07 June, 2021 Law and Order

Sedition-Unwarranted arrest

Sedition-Unwarranted arrest Introduction The arrest of K. Raghu Ramakrishna Raju, an MP from Andhra Pradesh, on the grave charge of sedition, is yet another instance of the misuse of the provision relating to exciting “disaffection” against the government. Use of Section 124A for mere discontent against the government The police in different States have been invoking sedition, an offence defined in Section 124A IPC, against critics of the establishment and prominent dissenters. It is not surprising that Mr Raju, a vocal detractor of A.P. Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, is sought to be prosecuted. Unwarranted arrest However, his arrest…

18 May, 2021 Law and Order

SUPACE Portal

SUPACE Portal The Supreme Court unveiled its Artificial Intelligence (AI) portal, the Supreme Court Portal for Assistance in Court’s Efficiency (SPACE). A pet project of Chief Justice of India S A Bobde, SUPACE is a tool that collects relevant facts and laws and makes them available to a judge. The portal is not designed to take decisions, but only to process facts and to make them available to judges looking for input for a decision. It is designed to make research easier for judges, thereby easing their workload. Initially, it will be used on an experimental basis by the judges…

29 April, 2021 Law and Order

Criminal Defamation Case-Priya Ramani case

Criminal Defamation Case-Priya Ramani case Introduction This article discuss about the Priya Ramani case and how women are being unvoiced for fear of ridicule, shaming, or on grounds of sheer financial necessity. There have also been those who feel that anything short of rape or outraging a woman’s modesty is not actionable. A powerful man’s predatory past has caught up with him, when a not-so-powerful victim chose to come forward with her story and even at the risk of imprisonment, turned down suggestions of a compromise and persisted with telling her truth. Story of Priya Ramani’s harassment The story begins…

20 February, 2021 Law and Order

Comparison of USA and Indian Protests

Comparison of USA and Indian Protests The world’s oldest and largest democracies were punctuated by two dramatic sieges at the start of 2021, each of which provides an insightful glimpse into the troubled politics of the two countries. On January 6, 2021, the U.S. Capitol building was partially taken over by a violent mob comprising supporters of former President Donald Trump. They attacked law enforcement officers, vandalised public property, and threatened lawmakers in Congress. One woman was killed at the site of the siege, and four others died during the course of the attack and its aftermath, including a police…

03 February, 2021 Law and Order

Stopping hate on Television is also essential for law and order: SC

Stopping hate on Television is also essential for law and order: SC The Supreme Court said stopping hate on television was as essential for law and order as arming policemen with lathis and putting up barricades to prevent the spread of violence and riots. Control over certain kind of news which agitate people to violence and riots is a law and order problem. Preventing it is as powerful as putting up barricades. Preventing instigation is as important as providing lathis to policemen. The CJI referred to how the government had shut down Internet facility on January 26 amid violence during…

29 January, 2021 Law and Order

TRIPLE TALAQ Analysis

TRIPLE TALAQ Analysis GS-Paper-2 Governance Women and law The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 became the first legislation to be tabled in Parliament by the Narendra Modi dispensation in its second term, with Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting the legislation was a must for gender equality and justice. The bill was introduced following a division of votes, with 186 members supporting and 74 opposing it. The bill was introduced in the lower house to replace an Ordinance issued in February by the previous BJP-led NDA government. The Bill was earlier introduced in December 2017 but owing to…

23 July, 2020 Law and Order

Reform of Criminal Laws

Reform of Criminal Laws The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has constituted a national level ‘Committee for the Reform of Criminal Laws’. What is the committee for? The criminal law in India comprises - the Indian Penal Code of 1860 the Code of Criminal Procedure was rewritten in 1973 the Indian Evidence Act dates back to 1872 The idea that the current laws governing crime, investigation and trial require meaningful reform has long been in place. There have been several attempts in recent decades to overhaul the body of criminal law. Given this, the committee's mandate now is to recommend reforms in…

13 July, 2020 Law and Order

Mob Lynching and associated laws

Mob Lynching and associated laws Mob lynching Lynching is a form of violence in which a mob, under the pretext of administering justice without trial, executes a presumed offender, often after inflicting torture and corporal mutilation. The term lynch law refers to a self-constituted court that imposes a sentence on a person without due process of law. The Manipur Law defined mob lynchings as “any act or series of acts of violence or aiding, abetting such act/acts thereof, whether spontaneous or planned, by a mob on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth, language, dietary practices, sexual…

21 April, 2020 Law and Order

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