The central criminal laws of India rest on three new codes of 2023 — the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam — supported by special criminal statutes such as the NDPS Act, UAPA, PMLA and POCSO.
On 1 July 2024, the three foundations of Indian criminal justice were replaced. The Indian Penal Code, 1860 gave way to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023; the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023; and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 to the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. Alongside them continues a body of special criminal statutes — narcotics, anti-terrorism, money-laundering, corruption and child-protection laws — that carve out stricter procedures and punishments of their own.
This page lists the principal central criminal laws in force today, what each covers, and its current status. Each Act links to the authoritative official text; the three 2023 codes link to the Government of India Gazette PDFs.
Contents
- The three criminal codes of 2023
- Special criminal statutes
- The replaced codes — IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act
- Frequently asked questions
The Three Criminal Codes of 2023
| Act | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act 45 of 2023) — official Gazette PDF | The general penal law of India: 358 sections defining offences and punishments across 20 chapters, from murder, theft and cheating to terrorism, organised crime and mob lynching. Introduced community service as a punishment and removed the colonial sedition provision. Replaced the Indian Penal Code, 1860 with effect from 1 July 2024. |
| Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Act 46 of 2023) — official Gazette PDF | The law of criminal procedure: 531 sections on FIR, arrest, bail, investigation, charge, trial, judgment and appeals, plus two Schedules (classification of offences and 58 court forms). Brought statutory timelines, mandatory forensic investigation for serious offences, videography of victim statements and trial in absentia. Replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. |
| Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (Act 47 of 2023) — official Gazette PDF | The law of evidence: 170 sections on relevancy, admissibility and proof, recognising electronic and digital records as primary evidence. Replaced the Indian Evidence Act, 1872. |
The Indian Penal Code, 1860, the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 stand repealed for offences committed on or after 1 July 2024; they continue to govern investigations, trials and appeals for offences committed before that date.
Special Criminal Statutes
| Act | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (61 of 1985) | The narcotics law of India: prohibition of cultivation, production and trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, stringent bail conditions under section 37, and special courts. |
| Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (37 of 1967) | The anti-terrorism law: unlawful activities, terrorist organisations and individuals, and terrorism financing; amended in 2019 to allow designation of individuals as terrorists. |
| Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002 (15 of 2002) | The money-laundering law: powers of the Enforcement Directorate, attachment of proceeds of crime and the twin conditions for bail under section 45. |
| Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 (49 of 1988) | Offences by and against public servants: bribery, criminal misconduct and disproportionate assets; tightened by the 2018 amendment, including prior approval under section 17A. |
| Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (32 of 2012) | Child-protection law: gender-neutral sexual offences against children, mandatory reporting, special courts and child-friendly procedure; the 2019 amendment added the death penalty for aggravated offences. |
| Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 (33 of 1989) | Protects SC/ST communities from atrocities and discrimination, with special courts, presumptions and enhanced punishments. |
| Arms Act, 1959 (54 of 1959) | Licensing and control of firearms and ammunition; recast by the Arms (Amendment) Act, 2023, with sport-shooting and heritage-weapon provisions. |
| Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 (2 of 2016) | Children in conflict with law and children in need of care: juvenile justice boards, adoption and foster care; amended in 2021. |
| Information Technology Act, 2000 (21 of 2000) | Cyber law: offences such as identity theft (section 66C), cheating by personation (66D) and obscene electronic content (67), applied alongside the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. |
For the foundational framework under which all criminal courts operate, see the Constitution of India (Bare Act), and for the civil side, our central civil and commercial laws library; for workplace and industrial offences, the labour and industrial laws library; and for environmental crimes, the environmental laws library.
The Replaced Codes — IPC, CrPC and the Evidence Act
The three colonial-era codes were repealed in 2023 and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, in force from 1 July 2024. Their texts are preserved below for cases, judgments and literature that still cite them.
| Act | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Indian Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1860) | The general penal code of British India — 511 sections defining every major offence from murder to criminal breach of trust. Repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. |
| Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) | The procedure for every criminal investigation, arrest, bail and trial under the old regime. Repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. |
| Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (1 of 1872) | The law of evidence for a century and a half — relevance, admissions, expert opinion and proof of documents. Repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023. |
Cases arising before 1 July 2024 continue to be tried under the old codes, so both regimes operate side by side in the courts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which criminal law applies to an offence committed before 1 July 2024?
The repealed Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and Indian Evidence Act, 1872 continue to govern offences committed before 1 July 2024. The three 2023 codes apply only to offences committed on or after that date, under the repeal-and-savings provisions (BNS section 358; BNSS section 531).
Is the Indian Penal Code still in force in India?
No. The IPC was repealed with effect from 1 July 2024 by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. It survives only for prosecuting offences committed before the repeal.
Where can I read the official text of the new criminal codes?
The Gazette of India PDFs of all three codes are linked in the table above; they are also available on the India Code portal (indiacode.gov.in) of the Legislative Department.
This page is a general library guide published for the Knowledge Centre and is not legal advice. For advice on a specific matter, please contact the firm.