Government Redefines ‘Terrorism’, Enhances Protections for Women in Legal Revisions

New Delhi: In a significant move, the government has revised the legal definition of a “terrorist act” under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), introducing new elements such as threats to economic and monetary security.

The revamped Section 113 now includes actions like spreading counterfeit currency or harming public functionaries. Those convicted of terrorist acts could face death or life imprisonment, with penalties for conspiracy or abetment.

Additionally, the BNS addresses cruelty towards women, specifying mental harm in its definition. Section 86 outlines cruelty as conduct likely to drive a woman to suicide or cause grave injury, encompassing mental and physical well-being. Another crucial addition imposes a two-year jail term for disclosing a sexual assault victim’s identity without permission from court proceedings.

However, the government has rejected two suggestions related to adultery and criminalization of homosexual sex, citing potential conflicts with Supreme Court judgments. The committee’s proposal to retain adultery in the BNS conflicts with the court’s 2018 decision, while criminalization of homosexual sex was struck down in the same year.

These revisions come as part of three bills, including the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, withdrawn earlier for incorporating committee recommendations and now presented in the Lok Sabha.