1st FIR filed against street vendor under new laws

Case under section 285 of BNS for encroaching space; home ministry says it was for review, case later dismissed

- UJWAL JALALI

AS the three new criminal laws, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) came into force on Monday, July 1, the Delhi Police began registering FIRS under the newly implemented criminal laws.

The first FIR was lodged in the central Delhi district in the wee hours of Monday under section 285 of the BNS. The said section prosecutes the offender for danger or obstruction in a public way or line of navigation. However, hours later, the Union Home Minister clarified that the cops used the provision to review it and dismissed that case.

It was a street vendor in Central Delhi's Kamla Market who was booked for encroaching space near New Delhi Railway Station and selling water, cigarettes and other tobacco products.

According to the FIR of the incident, accessed by this newspaper, a Sub-Inspector was patrolling in the aforesaid area when he saw the street vendor blocking the public way following which he asked him multiple times to move aside but the alleged person did not pay any heed to his requests.

"I then took out my mobile phone, recorded a video of the incident, and uploaded it on the E-Praman Application," the complaint by the SI read. The street vendor was then subsequently booked.