Street vendor in Delhi face first case under new Criminal Code

New Delhi: A street vendor in the national capital has become the first person to be charged with obstructing a road under the new the new criminal code, Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, as it came into force today.

The man, identified as Pankaj Kumar from Patna in Bihar, was selling water bottles and gutkha at his makeshift stall last night obstructing the road when a police personal repeatedly asked him to remove the stall, which he refused and an FIR under Section 285 was registered.

The Section 285 of the new criminal code states, ‘Whoever, by doing any act, or by omitting to take order with any property in his possession or under his charge, causes danger, obstruction or injury to any person in any public way or public line of navigation, shall be punished with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees.’

According to the FIR the street vendor parked his stall under foot over bridge near the New Delhi Railway Station.

NDTV quoted from the copy of the FIR: ‘The man was selling water, bidi and cigarettes on the street and the obstruction was causing difficulty for the public. The sub-inspector asked the man several times to remove the stall from the road, but he did not comply. The sub-inspector asked several passers-by to join the probe, but they refused. Then the sub-inspector shot a video using the e-praman application.’

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam have come into force today replacing the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, Indian Evidence Act and the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The new criminal codes, introduced to ensure speedy justice and tackle new crimes, require to hand judgments within 45 days of completing trial and charges have to be framed within 60 days of first hearing.

While Opposition parties including Congress called the implementation of new laws hasty, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the change would ensure ‘speedy justice and justice to all’.