It is day 2 of truckers in a number of elements of the nation sitting in protest over a provision of the brand new legal regulation codes coping with the problem of hit-and-run accidents. There have been stories of protestors blocking highways and roads in a number of elements and refusing to ply their automobiles. The continuing nationwide truckers protest has sparked fears of shortages at petrol and diesel stations within the nation, resulting in panic shopping for. On Tuesday, visuals got here in from a number of elements of the nation exhibiting individuals queuing up at petrol and diesel pumps anxious about an impending gas scarcity.
However what are the truck drivers protesting towards precisely? Nicely, it is one provision of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which was lately introduced in by the federal government. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita replaces the British-era Indian Penal Code.
It carries a provision associated to hit-and-run accidents, and it’s this provision towards which truck drivers are up in arms.
WHAT DOES THE NEW LAW SAY?
In line with the brand new penal regulation, any driver who causes the loss of life of an individual by rash and negligent driving and flees from the spot with out reporting the accident to the authorities may very well be jailed for as much as 10 years and/or fined as much as Rs 7 lakh.
“Whoever causes death of any person by rash and negligent driving of vehicle not amounting to culpable homicide, and escapes without reporting it to a police officer or a magistrate soon after the incident, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description of a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine,” Part 106 (2) of the brand new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita says.
WHAT USED TO HAPPEN EARLIER?
The outdated, British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC) didn’t have a selected provision for hit-and-run instances. Actions in such instances had been taken beneath Part 304 A of the IPC.
In line with that part, an individual inflicting the loss of life of one other on account of a rash or negligent act might invite a jail time period of a most of two years or be fined.
“Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both,” the part said.
All instances of hit-and-run together with different types of actions that got here beneath the ambit of “rash and negligent act” had been lodged beneath Part 304 A of the IPC.