Section 350 BNSS: Expenses of complainants and witnesses
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 350 BNSS at a Glance
Section 350 BNSS deals with expenses of complainants and witnesses. It replaced Section 312 CrPC on 1 July 2024.
Section 350 BNSS Bare Act Text
350. Expenses of complainants and witnesses
Subject to any rules made by the State Government, any Criminal Court may, if it thinks fit, order payment, on the part of the Government, of the reasonable expenses of any complainant or witness attending for the purposes of any inquiry, trial or other proceeding before such Court under this Sanhita.
Source: Section 350, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 350 BNSS in Simple Words
Section 350 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 provides that, subject to any rules made by the State Government, any Criminal Court may, if it thinks fit, order payment, on the part of the Government, of the reasonable expenses of any complainant or witness attending for the purposes of any inquiry, trial or other proceeding before such Court under the Sanhita.
When Section 350 BNSS Applies
- Section 350 BNSS is subject to any rules made by the State Government.
- Any Criminal Court may, if it thinks fit, order payment, on the part of the Government, of the reasonable expenses of any complainant or witness.
- The complainant or witness is one attending for the purposes of any inquiry, trial or other proceeding before such Court under the Sanhita.
Example of Section 350 BNSS
When Section 350 BNSS Does Not Apply
- Section 350 BNSS speaks of the reasonable expenses of a complainant or witness attending a proceeding. It does not deal with compensation for accusation without reasonable cause, the subject of Section 273 BNSS.
- Section 350 BNSS speaks of payment of expenses to a complainant or witness. It does not deal with the power to summon a material witness, or examine a person present, the subject of Section 348 BNSS.
Section 350 BNSS in the CrPC (Previous Law)
Section 350 BNSS replaces Section 312 CrPC from the old criminal code.
Section 350 BNSS has the same heading as Section 312 CrPC, Expenses of complainants and witnesses. The text is the same, except that Section 350 BNSS refers to a proceeding under the Sanhita where Section 312 CrPC referred to a proceeding under the Code.
View CrPC Section 312 →FAQs on Section 350 BNSS
Who may order payment of expenses under Section 350 BNSS?▼
Any Criminal Court may, if it thinks fit, order payment, on the part of the Government, of the reasonable expenses of any complainant or witness attending for the purposes of any inquiry, trial or other proceeding before such Court under the Sanhita.
Which expenses may be paid under Section 350 BNSS?▼
The reasonable expenses of any complainant or witness attending for the purposes of any inquiry, trial or other proceeding before such Court. Payment is ordered on the part of the Government.
How do rules made by the State Government relate to Section 350 BNSS?▼
Section 350 BNSS begins with the words subject to any rules made by the State Government. The text of the section does not set out those rules.
What changed from Section 312 CrPC to Section 350 BNSS from 1 July 2024?▼
Section 350 BNSS has the same heading and the same text as Section 312 CrPC, except that Section 350 BNSS refers to a proceeding under the Sanhita where Section 312 CrPC referred to a proceeding under the Code. Section 312 CrPC has no sub-sections, and maps as a whole to Section 350 BNSS.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 20 Oct 2026 ·