Section 531 BNSS: Repeal and savings
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 531 BNSS at a Glance
Section 531 BNSS deals with repeal and savings. It replaced Section 484 CrPC on 1 July 2024.
Section 531 BNSS Bare Act Text
(1) The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is hereby repealed.
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal—
(a) if, immediately before the date on which this Sanhita comes into force, there is any appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending, then, such appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation shall be disposed of, continued, held or made, as the case may be, in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, as in force immediately before such commencement (hereinafter referred to as the said Code), as if this Sanhita had not come into force;
(b) all notifications published, proclamations issued, powers conferred, forms provided by rules, local jurisdictions defined, sentences passed and orders, rules and appointments, not being appointments as Special Magistrates, made under the said Code and which are in force immediately before the commencement of this Sanhita, shall be deemed, respectively, to have been published, issued, conferred, specified, defined, passed or made under the corresponding provisions of this Sanhita;
(c) any sanction accorded or consent given under the said Code in pursuance of which no proceeding was commenced under that Code, shall be deemed to have been accorded or given under the corresponding provisions of this Sanhita and proceedings may be commenced under this Sanhita in pursuance of such sanction or consent.
(3) Where the period specified for an application or other proceeding under the said Code had expired on or before the commencement of this Sanhita, nothing in this Sanhita shall be construed as enabling any such application to be made or proceeding to be commenced under this Sanhita by reason only of the fact that a longer period therefor is specified by this Sanhita or provisions are made in this Sanhita for the extension of time.
Source: Section 531, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 531 BNSS in Simple Words
Section 531 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 deals with repeal and savings. Under Section 531(1) BNSS, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is hereby repealed.
Under Section 531(2) BNSS, notwithstanding such repeal, an appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending immediately before the date on which this Sanhita comes into force shall be disposed of, continued, held or made in accordance with the provisions of the said Code, as in force immediately before such commencement, as if this Sanhita had not come into force. Section 531(2) BNSS also deals with notifications, proclamations, powers, forms provided by rules, local jurisdictions, sentences, orders, rules and appointments made under the said Code, and with sanctions and consents.
Section 531(3) BNSS deals with a period specified for an application or other proceeding under the said Code which had expired on or before the commencement of this Sanhita.
When Section 531 BNSS Applies
- Under Section 531(1) BNSS, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is hereby repealed.
- Section 531(2)(a) BNSS speaks of an appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending immediately before the date on which this Sanhita comes into force.
- Under Section 531(2)(a) BNSS, that appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation shall be disposed of, continued, held or made, as the case may be, in accordance with the provisions of the said Code, as in force immediately before such commencement, as if this Sanhita had not come into force.
- Under Section 531(2)(b) BNSS, notifications published, proclamations issued, powers conferred, forms provided by rules, local jurisdictions defined, sentences passed and orders, rules and appointments, not being appointments as Special Magistrates, made under the said Code and in force immediately before the commencement of this Sanhita, shall be deemed to have been made under the corresponding provisions of this Sanhita.
- Under Section 531(2)(c) BNSS, any sanction accorded or consent given under the said Code in pursuance of which no proceeding was commenced under that Code shall be deemed to have been accorded or given under the corresponding provisions of this Sanhita.
- Section 531(3) BNSS speaks of a period specified for an application or other proceeding under the said Code which had expired on or before the commencement of this Sanhita.
Time Limits Under Section 531 BNSS
- Section 531(2)(a) BNSS speaks of an appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending immediately before the date on which this Sanhita comes into force.Act text: “if, immediately before the date on which this Sanhita comes into force, there is any appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending”
- Section 531(3) BNSS speaks of a period specified under the said Code which had expired on or before the commencement of this Sanhita.Act text: “Where the period specified for an application or other proceeding under the said Code had expired on or before the commencement of this Sanhita”
Example of Section 531 BNSS
When Section 531 BNSS Does Not Apply
- Section 531 BNSS speaks of repeal and savings. It does not deal with the saving of inherent powers of the High Court, which Section 528 BNSS speaks of.
- Section 531 BNSS speaks of the pending appeals, applications, trials, inquiries and investigations at the commencement of this Sanhita. It does not deal with the duty of the High Court to exercise continuous superintendence over Courts, which Section 529 BNSS speaks of.
Section 531 BNSS in the CrPC (Previous Law)
Section 531 BNSS replaced Section 484 CrPC from 1 July 2024.
Section 484 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 was replaced by Section 531 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. The heading is the same. Section 531(1) BNSS names the Code of 1973 as repealed where Section 484(1) CrPC named the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 as repealed. Section 531(2) BNSS and Section 531(3) BNSS read this Sanhita where Section 484(2) CrPC and Section 484(3) CrPC read this Code, and read the said Code where they read the old Code or the Old Code. Section 531(2)(b) BNSS reads forms provided by rules and specified where Section 484(2)(b) CrPC read forms prescribed and prescribed. Section 531(3) BNSS reads specified where Section 484(3) CrPC read prescribed. Section 531 BNSS has no counterpart to the proviso to Section 484(2)(a) CrPC or to Section 484(2)(d) CrPC.
Each sub-section below names its own source.
FAQs on Section 531 BNSS
What does Section 531(1) BNSS repeal?▼
Section 531(1) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 provides that the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is hereby repealed.
How are pending proceedings dealt with under Section 531(2)(a) BNSS?▼
Section 531(2)(a) BNSS provides that, notwithstanding such repeal, an appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending immediately before the date on which this Sanhita comes into force shall be disposed of, continued, held or made, as the case may be, in accordance with the provisions of the said Code, as in force immediately before such commencement, as if this Sanhita had not come into force.
What do Section 531(2)(b) BNSS, Section 531(2)(c) BNSS and Section 531(3) BNSS provide?▼
Section 531(2)(b) BNSS provides that notifications, proclamations, powers, forms provided by rules, local jurisdictions, sentences, orders, rules and appointments made under the said Code and in force immediately before the commencement of this Sanhita shall be deemed to have been made under the corresponding provisions of this Sanhita. Section 531(2)(c) BNSS provides the same for any sanction accorded or consent given under the said Code in pursuance of which no proceeding was commenced. Section 531(3) BNSS provides that where the period specified for an application or other proceeding under the said Code had expired on or before the commencement of this Sanhita, nothing in this Sanhita shall be construed as enabling any such application to be made or proceeding to be commenced under this Sanhita by reason only of the fact that a longer period therefor is specified by this Sanhita or provisions are made in this Sanhita for the extension of time.
What changed from Section 484 CrPC to Section 531 BNSS from 1 July 2024?▼
From 1 July 2024, Section 531 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 replaced Section 484 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. It has the same heading. Section 531(1) BNSS names the Code of 1973 as repealed where Section 484(1) CrPC named the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 as repealed. Section 531(2)(a) BNSS, Section 531(2)(b) BNSS, Section 531(2)(c) BNSS and Section 531(3) BNSS read this Sanhita where Section 484(2)(a) CrPC, Section 484(2)(b) CrPC, Section 484(2)(c) CrPC and Section 484(3) CrPC read this Code. Section 531(2)(a) BNSS, Section 531(2)(b) BNSS, Section 531(2)(c) BNSS and Section 531(3) BNSS read the said Code where Section 484(2)(a) CrPC, Section 484(2)(b) CrPC, Section 484(2)(c) CrPC and Section 484(3) CrPC read the old Code or the Old Code. Section 531(2)(a) BNSS refers to the provisions of the Code of 1973 where Section 484(2)(a) CrPC referred to the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898. Section 531(2)(b) BNSS reads forms provided by rules where Section 484(2)(b) CrPC read forms prescribed, and reads specified where Section 484(2)(b) CrPC read prescribed. Section 531(3) BNSS reads specified where Section 484(3) CrPC read prescribed, in each place where it appears. Section 531 BNSS has no counterpart to the proviso to Section 484(2)(a) CrPC or to Section 484(2)(d) CrPC.
Section 531 BNSS: Sub-sections Explained
Section 531(1) BNSS: Repeal and savings
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Bare Act Text
(1) The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is hereby repealed.
Section 531(2) BNSS: Repeal and savings
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Bare Act Text
(2) Notwithstanding such repeal—
(a) if, immediately before the date on which this Sanhita comes into force, there is any appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending, then, such appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation shall be disposed of, continued, held or made, as the case may be, in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, as in force immediately before such commencement (hereinafter referred to as the said Code), as if this Sanhita had not come into force;
(b) all notifications published, proclamations issued, powers conferred, forms provided by rules, local jurisdictions defined, sentences passed and orders, rules and appointments, not being appointments as Special Magistrates, made under the said Code and which are in force immediately before the commencement of this Sanhita, shall be deemed, respectively, to have been published, issued, conferred, specified, defined, passed or made under the corresponding provisions of this Sanhita;
(c) any sanction accorded or consent given under the said Code in pursuance of which no proceeding was commenced under that Code, shall be deemed to have been accorded or given under the corresponding provisions of this Sanhita and proceedings may be commenced under this Sanhita in pursuance of such sanction or consent.
Section 531(3) BNSS: Repeal and savings
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Bare Act Text
(3) Where the period specified for an application or other proceeding under the said Code had expired on or before the commencement of this Sanhita, nothing in this Sanhita shall be construed as enabling any such application to be made or proceeding to be commenced under this Sanhita by reason only of the fact that a longer period therefor is specified by this Sanhita or provisions are made in this Sanhita for the extension of time.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 22 Oct 2026 ·