National News
Parliament proceedings | Lok Sabha passes Bills to replace British-era criminal laws

The Lok Sabha on Wednesday passed three amended Bills that seek to repeal and replace criminal laws which date back to colonial times. This criminal law reform brings terrorism offences into a general crime law for the first time, drops the crime of sedition, and makes mob lynching punishable by death.
The Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita Bill (BNSS) will replace the Indian Penal Code, 1860; the Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill (BSS) will replace the Indian Evidence Act, 1872; and the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita Bill (BNSSS) will replace the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. All three were discussed and passed with a voice-vote, in the absence of the majority of Opposition members from INDIA bloc parties, as 97 of them have been suspended during this session.
Home Minister Amit Shah said that the three Bills stressed justice rather than punishment, and have been designed to last for the next century, keeping technological advancements in mind. “This is a pure Indian law after removing all the British imprints. As long as we are in power, we cannot become a police State,” the Minister said.He moved an amendment to the BNSS, which will exclude doctors from criminal prosecution for death due to medical negligence, and will make hit-and-run accident cases punishable by ten years imprisonment.
‘No sympathy for terrorists’
Noting that more than one lakh people have been killed in terror attacks across the country over the past 75 years, Mr. Shah said that the BNSS had, for the first time, defined terrorism and included it as a separate category in the general crime law.
Also read | The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita needs a relook
“Some members pointed out that UAPA [the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act] already exists. But in places where they were in power, they never invoked UAPA and those who committed acts of terrorism escaped under the provisions of general law,” Mr. Shah said. “We have shut the doors for such people to escape punishment by including terrorism in the criminal law. Terrorism is the biggest enemy of human rights. Such people should get the harshest of punishment. This is not Congress or British rule, how can you defend terrorists?” he asked.
Mr. Shah insisted that there was no scope for misuse of the terror provisions in the BNSS, but claimed that there was undue fear which made some Opposition MPs oppose the laws. “I insist that this fear should persist. There should be no sympathy for people who commit terrorist acts,” he said.
Earlier in the debate, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal, while speaking about Punjabi youth who took to militancy swayed by emotions, claimed that the two men who had jumped inside the Lok Sabha chamber on December 13 had also been affected by their emotions on the issues of unemployment, Manipur violence, and farmers’ rights. The two men, along with four associates, have been booked under UAPA, among other charges. The SAD leader also flagged the absence of a majority of the Opposition members, saying that key Bills should not be passed in such a manner.
Rajdroha vs deshdroha
The Home Minister said that sedition has been repealed in the new law. “We have replaced an individual with the country. Rajdroha (sedition or offence against the government) has been replaced with deshdroha (offence against the nation or country). Gandhi, Tilak, Patel all went to jail under this particular British law, yet it was never scrapped by the Opposition when they were in power. It continued all these years,” he said.
“[AIMIM MP Asaduddin] Owaisi ji is thinking that we have merely changed the name of sedition. I want to say that this is an independent country. Nobody will be sent to jail for criticising the government, but you cannot say anything against the country or do anything against the interests of the country. If you harm the flag or the property of the country, you will be sent to jail,” Mr. Shah said.
Also read |Revised criminal law bills: Key changes explained
‘Muslims, Dalits will be hurt’
Earlier, Mr. Owaisi said that the new laws would impact minority and underprivileged communities the most, adding that they did not have any safeguards against police excess and fabricated evidence. “Most undertrial prisoners are Adivasi, Dalits and Muslims. The conviction rate of Muslim inmates is 16% and their population is 14%. As many as 30% detenues in jails are Muslims. 76% backward class, Dalits and religious minorities are on death-row. You are reforming [the law] for the powerful; this will not benefit the poor,” Mr. Owaisi said.
He pointed out that Clause 187 of the BNSSS permits police custody of up to 90 days, as against the 15-day custody allowed till now. The law also prevents any third party from filing mercy petitions on behalf of convicts on death-row.
Mr. Owaisi added that it was an irony that people accused of terror charges themselves were also speaking in Parliament on the Bill. The BJP MP from Bhopal, Pragya Singh Thakur, faces charges under UAPA, with regard to her alleged involvement in the 2008 Malegaon blast where six people were killed. She spoke during the debate on the Bill, claiming that the British-era laws had been misused to torture her in police custody for 13 days.
‘Definition of terror is too broad’
Krishna Devarayalu Lavu of the YSR Congress also objected to the clause permitting 90 days of police custody. He noted that recently, three contentious farm laws had been withdrawn after farmers staged a peaceful protest. “They protested so their rights can be taken care of. If you invoke sections pertaining to attack on sovereignty of the country, it does not make any sense. The definition of terrorist acts is too broad,” the YSR Congress MP said.
Mr. Shah, however, insisted that the total police custody would only be 15 days. “If, after the first seven days of police questioning, someone gets admitted in hospital, the person will have to appear before the police for another eight days after recovering or getting discharged. Meanwhile, courts can also grant bail,” he said.
Crime
Navi Mumbai Crime: 2 Women Booked For Abetment To Suicide Of 15-Year-Old Ghansoli Student

Navi Mumbai: Two women have been booked for abetment to suicide after a 15-year-old Class 10 student from Ghansoli allegedly died by suicide following humiliation and assault at the hands of her friend’s mother and neighbour.
The deceased, Shamika Nagesh Gawde, lived with her parents in Talavali, Ghansoli, and was preparing for her Class 10 board exams at a private tuition class.
Police said Shamika had a minor quarrel with a classmate during her tuition on Wednesday evening. Though the matter was settled, the classmate told her mother about it, after which Reshma Santosh Gavande (42) allegedly called Shamika to her home.
At her residence, Gavande, along with her neighbour Mayuri Somanath Naikwadi (40), allegedly humiliated the girl, used insulting remarks about her parents, and Gavande reportedly slapped her.
Deeply hurt and distressed, Shamika returned home and later hanged herself. Her mother found her unresponsive around 7:45 p.m. and rushed her to Airoli municipal hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
A two-page suicide note recovered from the house detailed the incident and contained an apology to her parents. Based on the note and initial inquiry, Rabale Police registered a case under Sections 107 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) against the two accused for abetment to suicide.
“Preliminary investigation suggests that the accused women’s actions caused emotional distress to the minor, leading to her suicide. A detailed probe is underway,” said Senior Police Inspector Balkrishna Sawant of Rabale Police Station.
Both accused, who are neighbours residing in Radha Apartment, Ghansoli, are being investigated further.
The incident comes close on the heels of another Class 10 student’s suicide in Airoli last week, wherein the girl died by suicide after the principal allegedly insulted her in the class.
National News
Navi Mumbai Weather Update: Heavy Rains, Thunder, Lightning As Temperature Dips By 8°C

Mumbai: Residents of Navi Mumbai witnessed a spectacular weather event on Thursday evening, as intense thunderstorms and lightning strikes lit up the skies over Koparkhairane. X user Athreya Shetty shared videos of the dramatic weather, writing, “Exactly as per forecast, an amazing cracking thunderstorm hits Koparkhairane with loud lightning strikes and heavy Mumbai rains.”
The storm brought a welcome respite from the heat, with temperatures dropping by nearly 8°C within just 15 minutes. Many parts of the city reported heavy rain and gusty winds, adding to the pre-festive chill.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Thane and Palghar districts have been placed under a Yellow Alert, warning of thunderstorms accompanied by strong winds. The IMD has forecast maximum temperatures around 35°C and minimums near 24°C for the next few days.
Additionally, all districts of Maharashtra (except Vidarbha) are under Yellow Alert for varying days between October 15 and 17, as light to moderate rain is expected due to an upper air cyclonic circulation over the Arabian Sea.
Meteorologists have attributed the sudden showers and drop in temperature to the Northeast Monsoon (NEM), which set in around 15 October. The shift is bringing fresh moisture from the east, making weather conditions more humid and muggy across the state.
This marks the first rainfall spell after the IMD officially declared the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from Mumbai on October 10 — the earliest in seven years.
For the season, the Colaba observatory recorded 2,263.0 mm of rainfall, while Santacruz saw 3,112.0 mm, signalling another intense monsoon season despite the early exit.
As Mumbai braces for humid conditions and patchy rains through the week, residents are advised to stay updated on local weather alerts and plan their travel accordingly.
National News
ECI to enforce TN Seshan’s 1994 guidelines on Burqa-clad women in Bihar polls

New Delhi, Oct 16: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday affirmed that it is strictly enforcing the landmark decisions introduced by former CEC T.N. Seshan in 1994 regarding ‘Pardanasheen’ (Burqa-clad) women voters during the next month’s Bihar assembly elections.
Referring to the ECI order dated 1994 with the subject line – “General elections to State Legislative Assemblies-1994-Special facilities in polling stations for women electors”, the commission highlighted that the poll panel is “implementing Ex CEC TN Seshan decisions of 1994 on Pardanasheens in Bihar.”
The term ‘Pardanasheen’ refers to women who, due to cultural conventions, do not appear before male officials or the public spaces without veils.
In 1994, T.N. Seshan issued specific guidelines directing polling officials to make arrangements that respect such sensitivities while ensuring these women are able to cast their votes without intimidation or identity challenges.
According to the 1994 order issued by the former CEC, “Chief Electoral Officer, District Election Officer, Returning Officer, Assistant Returning Officer, and Presiding Officer are responsible for ensuring special arrangements are made for women electors to exercise their franchise in the presence of Lady staff.”
“Where the number of female electors is significant (say, 50 per cent or above) and the system of Burqa or purdah is observed as a social custom, at least one Polling Officer must be a lady Polling Officer in each such polling station,” it noted.
It further added that, “If women officials are not available in the required number, the Returning Officer or Presiding Officer has the authority under Rule 34(2) to appoint ‘any woman to serve as an attendant’ at the polling station.”
Ahead of the Bihar elections scheduled for next month, the assertion by the Election Commission reflects the poll panel’s commitment to ensure the value of every voter, irrespective of gender.
With Bihar witnessing a two-phase voting schedule, the Election Commission’s renewed emphasis on inclusive polling arrangements is expected to significantly boost female voter turnout, especially in rural and conservative regions.
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