On 1 July 2024, India’s three colonial-era criminal laws were replaced. The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) became the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS); the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) became the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS); and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 became the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA). The substantive law on most offences is broadly the same, but section numbers have changed entirely, several new offences were added, and the procedure now has hard timelines. This guide explains what actually changed and what it means for you. If you are facing an FIR or investigation, speak to our criminal lawyers in Delhi early.

Why the change matters

This was not just a renumbering exercise. The IPC had 511 sections; the BNS has 358. The BNSS adds time-bound investigation and trial, forensic mandates and digital procedure. Critically, no IPC section maps to the same BNS number — the famous “302 for murder” is now Section 103 BNS. Citing the wrong section in a complaint, bail application or notice can cause real problems, so the mapping below matters in practice.

Section mapping: common offences (IPC to BNS)

Offence	Old (IPC)	New (BNS)
Murder	302	103
Culpable homicide not amounting to murder	304	105
Death by negligence (rash/negligent act)	304A	106
Dowry death	304B	80
Abetment of suicide	306	108
Rape (punishment)	376	64
Cruelty by husband or relatives	498A	85 (with cruelty defined in 86)
Cheating / dishonestly inducing delivery of property	420	318
Defamation	499 / 500	356
Sedition	124A (repealed)	152 (acts endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India)

A few notes a non-lawyer often misreads. The definition of murder is in BNS Section 101 while the punishment is Section 103 — so charge sheets and orders may cite both. Rape is defined in Section 63 and punished under Section 64, with aggravated forms (gang rape, custodial, minors) in Sections 64-70. Sedition under 124A was repealed, but Section 152 BNS creates a new offence covering acts that excite secession, armed rebellion or endanger India’s sovereignty and integrity — it is narrower in wording but carries heavy punishment, and lawyers and civil-liberties groups continue to debate its scope.

New offences introduced by the BNS

The BNS codifies several offences that the IPC handled only through special laws or judicial interpretation:

Organised crime — Section 111. Covers continuing unlawful activity by syndicates: kidnapping, extortion, contract killing, land grabbing, vehicle theft, economic offences, cybercrime and trafficking. Severe punishment, up to death or life where death results.
Petty organised crime — Section 112. Targets gangs behind theft, snatching, pickpocketing and similar acts causing general insecurity.
Terrorism — Section 113. For the first time a general criminal code (not only a special law like the UAPA) defines a terrorist act — acts that threaten the unity, security or economic security of India, or intimidate the public.
Mob lynching — Section 103(2). Where five or more persons acting together commit murder on grounds of race, caste, community, sex, language, place of birth or personal belief, punishable with life imprisonment or death.
Snatching — Section 304. Snatching is now a distinct offence, separate from ordinary theft.
Sexual intercourse by deceitful means — Section 69. Criminalises sexual intercourse obtained on a false promise of marriage, employment, promotion or by suppressing identity (for example a false identity), with punishment up to ten years.

Community service as punishment

The BNS introduces community service as a recognised form of punishment for the first time in Indian criminal law, for a set of minor offences (such as petty theft of property under ₹5,000 on first conviction, attempt to commit suicide to restrain a public servant, public misconduct by a drunken person, and defamation). It is meant to keep low-level offenders out of jail.

Procedural reforms under the BNSS

The BNSS is where day-to-day criminal practice changed most:

Zero FIR (Section 173). A Zero FIR — registering a complaint at any police station regardless of where the offence occurred — now has statutory backing and is later transferred to the jurisdictional station. Useful where delay or jurisdiction was previously an excuse for inaction.
e-FIR / electronic registration (Section 173). Information about an offence can be given electronically; for cognizable offences it must be signed by the informant within three days to be formalised.
Preliminary inquiry option. For cognizable offences punishable with 3 to under 7 years, the police may (with a senior officer’s permission) conduct a 14-day preliminary inquiry before registering an FIR.
Mandatory forensic visit (Section 176). For offences punishable with 7 years’ imprisonment or more, a forensic expert must visit the crime scene and collect evidence — a major shift towards scientific investigation.
Time-bound investigation and judgment. Several stages now carry deadlines, including delivery of judgment within 30 days of completion of arguments (extendable to 45 days for reasons recorded), aimed at curbing endless pendency.
Trial in absentia, videoconferencing and digital records. Proclaimed absconders can be tried in absentia; evidence, summons and trials can use electronic means; and search and seizure may be audio-video recorded.

For reference, two procedures readers ask about most have moved: anticipatory bail is now Section 482 BNSS (see our guide on anticipatory bail under the BNSS), and the High Court’s inherent power to quash an FIR is now Section 528 BNSS, formerly Section 482 CrPC (see FIR quashing under Section 528 BNSS). Magistrate’s cognizance moved to Section 210, police charge sheet provisions to Section 193, and the power to remand to Section 187.

What it means for old cases

This is the question that causes the most confusion. The rule is governed by the savings clauses and the date of the offence:

Offence committed before 1 July 2024 — the case continues to be investigated, inquired into and tried under the IPC, CrPC and the old Evidence Act, even if the FIR is registered or the trial happens after that date. The repeal does not wipe out liability or proceedings already attracted under the old law.
Offence committed on or after 1 July 2024 — the BNS, BNSS and BSA apply.

So in practice, for several years our courts are running two systems in parallel: older matters under the IPC/CrPC and new matters under the BNS/BNSS. Anything procedural that is purely about how a step is taken after 1 July 2024 may follow the new code, but the substantive offence and core trial framework follow the law in force on the date of the alleged crime. Because the position is fact-specific, do not assume your matter automatically falls under the new sections — have it checked.

Quick takeaways

The IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act were replaced by the BNS, BNSS and BSA on 1 July 2024.
Most offences survive but every section number changed (murder is now 103, not 302).
New offences include organised crime, terrorism, mob lynching, snatching and sexual intercourse by deceitful means.
The BNSS adds Zero FIR, e-FIR, mandatory forensics for 7-year offences and time-bound judgments.
Crimes before 1 July 2024 are still tried under the old IPC/CrPC.

If you are unsure which law applies to your FIR or how the new sections affect a bail, quashing or trial strategy, our criminal lawyers in Delhi can review the facts and advise.

This is general information, not legal advice. Consult our lawyers for advice on your situation.

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