Remand time still remains 15 days: Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday clarified that the maximum 15-day police remand period under Bharatiya Nagaraik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) will remain the same as was provided for in Section 167 of the erstwhile Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Addressing a press conference hours after the three new criminal laws came into force, Shah said unnecessary confusion was being created to give the impression that the time-period for police remand had been extended under BNSS.
"I want to clarify that in BNSS also the remand period is 15 days. Earlier if an accused was sent to police remand and he would get himself admitted in a hospital for 15 days... there could be no interrogation as his remand period would expire. Also, sometimes two accused are arrested and need to be interrogated together. The new law now provides for the same 15-day police remand, but the detention can be in the whole, or in parts, at any time during the initial 40 days or 60 days out of the detention period of 60 days or 90 days," said Shah.
Former law minister Kapil Sibal had last year raised concerns regarding Section 187 of BNSS dealing with police remand, while alleging that then proposed criminal laws would promote use of draconian police powers for political ends.