Section 296 BNSS: Power of Court in plea bargaining

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Section 296 BNSS at a Glance

Section 296 BNSS deals with power of Court in plea bargaining. It replaced Section 265H CrPC on 1 July 2024.

Was CrPC

Section 265H →

Section 296 BNSS Bare Act Text

296. Power of the Court in plea bargaining

Power of Court in plea bargaining.

A Court shall have, for the purposes of discharging its functions under this Chapter, all the powers vested in respect of bail, trial of offences and other matters relating to the disposal of a case in such Court under this Sanhita.

Source: Section 296, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Section 296 BNSS in Simple Words

Section 296 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 deals with the power of the Court in plea bargaining. A Court shall have, for the purposes of discharging its functions under this Chapter, all the powers vested in respect of bail, trial of offences and other matters relating to the disposal of a case in such Court under this Sanhita.

When Section 296 BNSS Applies

  • A Court has, for the purposes of discharging its functions under this Chapter, the powers described in Section 296 BNSS.
  • The powers are all the powers vested in respect of bail, trial of offences and other matters relating to the disposal of a case.
  • The powers are those vested in such Court under the Sanhita.

Example of Section 296 BNSS

Meera is the accused in a case in which the Court is discharging its functions under the Chapter on plea bargaining. A question of bail for Meera arises. Under Section 296 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the Court has all the powers vested in such Court under the Sanhita in respect of bail.

When Section 296 BNSS Does Not Apply

  • Section 296 BNSS speaks of the powers of a Court in respect of bail, trial of offences and other matters relating to the disposal of a case. It does not deal with the application for plea bargaining, which is the subject of Section 290 BNSS.
  • Section 296 BNSS speaks of the powers vested in such Court under the Sanhita. It does not deal with the non-application of the Chapter, which is the subject of Section 300 BNSS.

Section 296 BNSS in the CrPC (Previous Law)

Section 296 BNSS replaces Section 265H CrPC from the old criminal code.

Section 296 BNSS has the same text as Section 265H CrPC, except that Section 296 BNSS reads under this Sanhita where Section 265H CrPC read under this Code.

View CrPC Section 265H →

FAQs on Section 296 BNSS

What powers does a Court have under Section 296 BNSS?▼

A Court shall have, for the purposes of discharging its functions under this Chapter, all the powers vested in respect of bail, trial of offences and other matters relating to the disposal of a case in such Court under the Sanhita.

Does Section 296 BNSS refer to bail?▼

Yes. Section 296 BNSS names bail, trial of offences and other matters relating to the disposal of a case as matters in respect of which the Court has all the powers vested in such Court under the Sanhita.

Under which law are the powers in Section 296 BNSS vested?▼

Section 296 BNSS refers to the powers vested in such Court under this Sanhita, that is, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

What changed from Section 265H CrPC to Section 296 BNSS from 1 July 2024?▼

Section 296 BNSS has the same text as Section 265H CrPC, except that Section 296 BNSS reads under this Sanhita where Section 265H CrPC read under this Code.

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Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified advocate for legal advice.

Sources: Bare Act Text, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 26 Oct 2026 ·