CrPC · Chapter I · Preliminary

CrPC section 4 in the BNSS

CrPC 4BNSS 4

CrPC section 4, “Trial of offences under the Indian Penal Code and other laws”, is now BNSS section 4 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024.

What changed

From CrPC 4 to BNSS 4

Now BNSS section 4, with the same rule: offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (formerly the IPC) and under other laws are investigated and tried under the BNSS unless another law provides otherwise.

The official text

Old and new, side by side

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Section 4 Trial of offences under the Indian Penal Code and other laws

(1) All offences under the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) shall be investigated, inquired into, tried, and otherwise dealt with according to the provisions hereinafter contained.

(2) All offences under any other law shall be investigated, inquired into, tried, and otherwise dealt with according to the same provisions, but subject to any enactment for the time being in force regulating the manner of place of investigating, inquiring into, trying or otherwise dealing with such offences.

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Section 4 Trial of offences under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and other laws

(1) All offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 shall be investigated, inquired into, tried, and otherwise dealt with according to the provisions hereinafter contained.

(2) All offences under any other law shall be investigated, inquired into, tried, and otherwise dealt with according to the same provisions, but subject to any enactment for the time being in force regulating the manner or place of investigating, inquiring into, trying or otherwise dealing with such offences.

The texts are India Code’s. The amendment markers and footnotes of the official print are left out, so the old section reads as it stood when it was repealed; State amendments are not shown. The PDFs linked below carry the full history.

Old law or new?

Which one applies to a case

The BNSS repealed the CrPC from 1 July 2024 (section 531(1)). Any appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending immediately before that date is disposed of under the CrPC as it then stood, as if the BNSS had not come into force (section 531(2)(a)). Anything not pending on that date follows the BNSS.