Justice Anand Venkatesh of the Madras High Court recently said in live court that since he cannot speak Hindi fluently, he will continue to refer to the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act by their ‘original’ English even though the new laws that have replaced them have Hindi names.
Justice Venkatesh made the comment in a lighter vein on Tuesday when he was hearing a matter regarding cognizance and extension of periods of limitation under Sections 460 and 473 of the CrPC.
The three bills – Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Sanhita that replace the IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act respectively received the Presidential assent on December 25, 2023.
While arguing a case, Additional Public Prosecutor (APP) A Damodaran brought to the Court’s notice a provision in the “new Act” but struggled to pronounce the words ‘Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita’ that replaces the CrPC.
Justice Venkatesh then intervened and said that while APP Damodaran had wisely avoided having to pronounce the Hindi words by simply referring to them as the “new Act”, he (Justice Venkatesh) has decided to continue referring to the provisions as IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act since he does not know Hindi.
“I was taking some time to pronounce the new name when he (Justice Venkatesh) said that we were all in the same boat when it came to Hindi,” APP Damodaran said.
