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Executive summary
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (BSA) came into force on 1 July 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure and the Indian Evidence Act. Two years on, criminal practice runs on both sets of numbers: older FIRs, charge sheets and trials cite IPC and CrPC, while new matters cite BNS and BNSS.
The conversion is not always one-to-one. Some offences moved with sub-sections (cheating under IPC 420 is now BNS 318(4)); some procedures were rewritten (BNSS 173 adds e-FIR and zero FIR provisions and a preliminary enquiry for some offences). Which law governs a case depends on when the offence was committed and whether proceedings were pending on 1 July 2024.
Below is a short table of the conversions that come up daily, a wider list of procedural sections, the transition rule in BNSS section 531, and a habit that avoids most citation errors: cite both, and check the bare Act before filing. The free IPC to BNS converter covers more sections in both directions.
How to convert and cite sections safely
Fix the date of the alleged offence
Substantive criminal liability follows the law in force when the act was committed. An offence alleged to have been committed before 1 July 2024 is an IPC offence; Article 20(1) of the Constitution bars a heavier penalty than the law in force at the time.
Check whether proceedings were pending on 1 July 2024
BNSS section 531(2)(a) provides that an appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending immediately before the BNSS came into force is to be continued under the CrPC as if the BNSS had not come into force. Note the stage of the case on that date in the file.
For FIRs registered after 1 July 2024 on older facts, read the current case law
Where the offence is from before 1 July 2024 but the FIR or proceedings began afterwards, the offence remains under the IPC while the procedure has generally been taken to be the BNSS. High Courts have not all approached this identically, so check your own High Court’s position.
Convert with sub-sections, not just section numbers
Many BNS provisions bundle what were separate IPC sections into sub-sections. Murder is BNS 103(1), cheating under IPC 420 is BNS 318(4), criminal breach of trust under IPC 406 is BNS 316(2). Cite the sub-section.
Cite both numbers during the transition
In applications and written submissions, write the new section followed by the old one in brackets, for example section 482 BNSS (formerly section 438 CrPC). It helps the bench and the opposite side, and it makes older precedents easier to connect.
Check the bare Act before filing
Conversion charts, including ours, are a starting point. Wording, ingredients and punishments changed in places. Read the new provision itself before relying on an older judgment.
Update templates and matter records
Change the section references in your bail, quashing and discharge templates, and record both the old and new sections on each matter so searches find it either way.
High-frequency section conversions
| Subject | Old | New | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Murder (punishment) | IPC 302 | BNS 103(1) | Definition of murder is in BNS 101 |
| Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property | IPC 420 | BNS 318(4) | BNS 318 consolidates the cheating provisions |
| Cruelty by husband or relatives | IPC 498A | BNS 85 | Cruelty is explained in BNS 86 |
| Criminal breach of trust (punishment) | IPC 406 | BNS 316(2) | Definition is in BNS 316(1) |
| Rape (punishment) | IPC 376 | BNS 64 | Aggravated forms are in BNS 64(2) and later sections |
| Criminal conspiracy (punishment) | IPC 120B | BNS 61(2) | Definition is in BNS 61(1) |
| Anticipatory bail | CrPC 438 | BNSS 482 | Regular bail by High Court or Sessions Court: CrPC 439 to BNSS 483 |
| Certificate for electronic records | IEA 65B | BSA 63 | BSA prescribes the certificate in its Schedule |
Other procedural sections you will cite often
Procedure is where most day-to-day citation errors happen, because bail, FIR and maintenance sections appear in almost every criminal file. These are the conversions practitioners use most; confirm each against the bare BNSS before filing.
- Regular bail by High Court or Court of Session: CrPC 439 to BNSS 483.
- Information in cognizable cases (FIR): CrPC 154 to BNSS 173.
- Maintenance of wives, children and parents: CrPC 125 to BNSS 144.
- Inherent powers of the High Court: CrPC 482 to BNSS 528.
- Notice of appearance before police: CrPC 41A to BNSS 35(3).
- Examination of witnesses by police: CrPC 161 to BNSS 180; recording of confessions and statements: CrPC 164 to BNSS 183.
- Magistrate’s power to order investigation: CrPC 156(3) to BNSS 175(3); complaint to Magistrate: CrPC 200 to BNSS 223.
- Common intention: IPC 34 to BNS 3(5); attempt to murder: IPC 307 to BNS 109.
The transition rule, stated carefully
BNSS section 531 repeals the CrPC and saves pending matters: under section 531(2)(a), anything pending immediately before 1 July 2024 by way of appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation is to be disposed of, continued, held or made under the CrPC as in force before that date. The BNS has its own repeal and savings provision for the IPC, preserving liability for offences already committed.
Grey areas remain, particularly for fresh applications (for example a new bail or quashing petition) filed after 1 July 2024 in a case where the FIR was registered earlier. Different High Courts have taken different views on some of these questions. Do not assume; check the current position in your jurisdiction and say in the petition which law you are invoking and why.
In Legal Staff, matters can carry both old and new section references, and the AI Legal Research notes explain provisions with their old equivalents. The research notes are reference material on provisions, not a case-law database, and every answer should be checked against the bare Act.
Common pitfalls
BNS 318 alone does not identify the offence that IPC 420 described. Cite the sub-section, such as BNS 318(4).
Liability for an act committed before 1 July 2024 is under the IPC. Charging or arguing under the BNS for such facts invites an objection.
Some provisions were reworded, punishments changed and new offences added. Read the new section rather than relying on an IPC-era judgment by number alone.
A bail template that still says section 438 CrPC in a new matter is a small but visible error. Update templates once, centrally.
Charts are useful but can contain mistakes. Treat any chart, including this one, as a pointer to the bare Act.
Frequently asked questions
When did the BNS, BNSS and BSA come into force?
All three came into force on 1 July 2024, replacing the IPC, the CrPC and the Indian Evidence Act respectively.
Which law applies to an offence committed before 1 July 2024?
The substantive offence is governed by the IPC. Proceedings pending on 1 July 2024 continue under the CrPC by virtue of BNSS section 531(2)(a). For proceedings started after that date on older facts, check your High Court’s current view on the procedure that applies.
What is the BNSS section for anticipatory bail?
Section 482 of the BNSS corresponds to section 438 of the CrPC. Regular bail by the High Court or Court of Session is in BNSS 483 (formerly CrPC 439).
What replaced section 65B of the Evidence Act?
Section 63 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam deals with the admissibility of electronic records and the certificate, which is now in a prescribed form in the Schedule to the BSA.
General information for advocates, not legal advice. Statutes, rules and court practice directions change; check the bare Act, the latest amendments and your court's rules before relying on any date or section.