CrPC and IPC and evidence act need changes
The judgment in the defamation case against Rahul Gandhi has brought attention to the need for reform in India’s criminal laws. The punishment for defamation under Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) is a maximum of two years, but this is the first time someone has been sentenced to such a punishment since the inception of the sedition law. There is now a debate on whether defamation should be covered under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) or the Civil Procedure Code. Furthermore, Section 124-A of the IPC, which was frequently used by the British police to suppress the freedom movement, remains a controversial clause in India. It is an interesting fact that Pakistan abolished the same clause, yet it still exists in India, albeit in abeyance. The time has come for India to revisit its criminal laws, which are outdated and in dire need of reform.
Yash pal Ralhan, Jalandhar