• Source:JND
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Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Jitendra Awhad on Saturday criticised the central government for the new criminal laws, which stipulate police custody of either 60 or 90 days in place of the current 15 days, saying the "90-day custody will ruin lives." NCP leader's apprehensions came days ahead of the enactment of the new criminal laws. The new laws replacing the IPC, CrPC, and CPC will come into force from July 1.

Fearing the potential misuse of the extended police custody provision under these laws, Awhad warned of their use in quelling the dissent of political activists. He asked what if police detain a political leader just ahead of elections for 90 days? Their lives will be ruined, he said.

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"This is a law to replace CrPC. This law is old, the leaders of the centre are saying this. Now police custody will be for 90 days. If you keep them for 90 days for a small crime, then your whole life will be ruined. Especially political activists like us, who are the voice of dissent, the voice of rebellion, if they are kept in custody for 90 days to silence their voice, then in September, if 10 people like us are picked up and detained, then we will not be able to contest elections," Awhad said as quoted by ANI.

"If we stay inside for 3 months, then from where will we contest elections?... They (BJP leaders) said they would finish the Muslim Personal Law, which means they were going to change the constitution..." he added.

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Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023, will replace the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and Indian Evidence Act respectively.

Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the police custody time period has been increased from 15 days to 90 days, depending on the offence.