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India's criminal procedure code, which replaced the CrPC of 1973 from 1 July 2024 with 531 sections in 39 chapters.
The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 is the law that lays down the procedure for investigating, prosecuting and trying crimes in India. It replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) with effect from 1 July 2024. Piloted by the Ministry of Home Affairs, it is one of three new criminal laws that came into force together — the other two being the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (which replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (which replaced the Indian Evidence Act, 1872). The BNSS contains 531 sections arranged in 39 chapters, and its stated aim is to shift the code from a purely procedural instrument to one centred on 'nagarik suraksha' — citizen protection — through statutory timelines, digital processes and victim-facing rights.
Type: LawZero FIR given statutory force — under Section 173, a cognizable offence can be reported at ANY police station regardless of where it happened; the CrPC had no such express provision and Zero FIR survived only on executive circulars
Electronic FIR (e-FIR) — information about an offence may be given orally, in writing or by electronic communication, widening how a complaint can reach the police
Statutory timelines throughout — a Sessions Court must frame charges within 60 days of the first hearing, and judgment must follow within 30 days of the close of arguments, extendable by up to 45 days for reasons recorded in writing
Mandatory forensics — Section 176(3) requires a forensic expert to visit the crime scene and collect evidence in offences punishable with seven years' imprisonment or more, with the process videographed
Trial in absentia — a proclaimed offender who has absconded with no immediate prospect of arrest can be tried and sentenced in absence, a power the CrPC did not give
Women-sensitive procedure — information about sexual offences under Sections 64-71, 74-79 and 124 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita must be recorded by a woman police officer
Frequency: High — the three new criminal laws have been a standing feature of Prelims and Mains GS-II since 2024, and appear regularly in SSC and state PSC papers
India's criminal procedure was colonial in origin. The first Code of Criminal Procedure was enacted in 1861, consolidated in 1898, and replaced after Independence by the CrPC of 1973 following the Law Commission's 41st Report. Demands to recast the colonial-era criminal codes grew through the 2000s, and in 2020 the Ministry of Home Affairs set up the Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws chaired by Prof. (Dr.) Ranbir Singh. Three replacement Bills were introduced in Lok Sabha in August 2023, withdrawn and reintroduced in December 2023 as the 'Second' Sanhita Bills after Parliamentary Standing Committee scrutiny, and passed in December 2023.
First Code of Criminal Procedure enacted in British India
CrPC consolidated and re-enacted
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 enacted (in force 1 April 1974)
Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws constituted under Prof. Ranbir Singh
Three criminal law Bills introduced in Lok Sabha
Bills reintroduced as 'Second' Sanhita Bills and passed by Parliament
BNSS, BNS and BSA come into force together
The BNSS tracks a criminal case from the first information to the final judgment, attaching a deadline to each stage so that delay itself becomes visible on the record.
Step 1 — Information: a cognizable offence is reported orally, in writing or electronically at any police station (Zero FIR under Section 173); the FIR is then transferred to the station with jurisdiction
Step 2 — Preliminary enquiry: for offences punishable with 3 years or more but less than 7 years, the officer may, with a superior's permission, conduct a preliminary enquiry within 14 days to check whether a prima facie case exists
Step 3 — Investigation: forensic experts visit the scene in 7-year-plus offences and videograph collection; the informant must be kept informed of progress
Step 4 — Charge sheet and cognizance: the police report goes to the magistrate, who must take cognizance within a fixed period
Step 5 — Framing of charges: the Sessions Court frames charges within 60 days of the first hearing on charge
Step 6 — Trial and judgment: on conclusion of arguments, judgment is pronounced within 30 days, extendable by up to 45 days for written reasons
| Aspect | CrPC, 1973 | BNSS, 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Sections | 484 sections | 531 sections in 39 chapters |
| In force from | 1 April 1974 | 1 July 2024 |
| Zero FIR | No express provision; rested on executive instructions | Statutory, under Section 173 |
| Forensic investigation | Not mandatory | Mandatory for offences punishable with 7 years or more |
| Trial in absentia | Not provided for proclaimed offenders | Permitted for absconding proclaimed offenders |
| Judgment timeline | No statutory outer limit | 30 days from close of arguments, extendable by 45 days |
Procedure decides how long justice takes, and India's pendency problem is overwhelmingly a procedural one. By writing deadlines into the statute, making forensic collection compulsory in serious cases and allowing complaints to be filed electronically and across jurisdictions, the BNSS attempts to attack delay and the practical difficulty of even getting an FIR registered. The counter-arguments matter just as much for Mains: critics point to expanded police custody periods, the risk that trial in absentia weakens the right to a fair hearing, and the fact that deadlines mean little without the forensic infrastructure, judges and prosecutors to meet them. Every state's police and judiciary has had to retrain and renumber its entire case-handling system, and older cases registered before 1 July 2024 continue to run under the CrPC — so two procedural codes operate in parallel for years.
BNSS, 2023 replaced the CrPC, 1973 from 1 July 2024 — 531 sections, 39 chapters
Part of a trio: BNS (offences), BNSS (procedure), BSA (evidence)
Section 173 = Zero FIR and e-FIR; complaint at any police station, by any medium
Section 176(3) = compulsory forensic visit for offences punishable with 7 years or more
Charges in 60 days (Sessions Court); judgment in 30 days after arguments, +45 days on written reasons
Trial in absentia allowed for absconding proclaimed offenders — new to Indian procedure
Criminal procedure sits in the Concurrent List, so states may amend the BNSS
The BNSS, 2023 replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, with effect from 1 July 2024.
The BNSS has 531 sections arranged in 39 chapters, against the 484 sections of the CrPC it replaced.
Under Section 173, a person can report a cognizable offence at any police station irrespective of where the offence took place. The FIR is registered with number zero and then transferred to the station having jurisdiction.
Yes. The BNSS allows the trial of a proclaimed offender who has absconded with no immediate prospect of arrest to proceed and judgment to be pronounced in their absence.
No. Cases registered before 1 July 2024 continue under the CrPC, 1973, so both codes operate side by side until the older cases are disposed of.