Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Criminal Law I)
“Actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea — an act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty.” — the foundation of criminal liability
Unit Coverage
| Unit | Topics |
|---|---|
| Unit I — General Principles, Punishments & Exceptions | Definition & nature of crime, mens rea & actus reus, stages of crime, joint & constructive liability (S.3(5)), punishments (S.4), general exceptions (Ss.14–44) — mistake, judicial acts, accident, necessity, infancy, insanity, intoxication, consent, private defence |
| Unit II — Inchoate Crimes & Offences Against Women and Children | Abetment (Ss.45–60), criminal conspiracy (Ss.61–62), attempt, rape & sexual offences (Ss.63–79), cruelty (S.85), bigamy, offences against children |
| Unit III — Offences Affecting the Human Body | Culpable homicide & murder (Ss.100–105), transferred malice (S.102), hurt & grievous hurt (Ss.114–125), acid attacks, wrongful restraint & confinement, criminal force & assault, kidnapping & abduction |
| Unit IV — Offences Against the State, Public Tranquillity, Public Justice & Property | Offences against the State (Ss.147–158), terrorist act (S.113), unlawful assembly, rioting & affray, offences against public justice, mischief (S.324), criminal trespass, forgery |
| Unit V — Offences Against Property; Defamation & Criminal Intimidation | Theft, extortion, robbery & dacoity, criminal misappropriation & breach of trust, cheating, receiving stolen property, defamation (S.356) & exceptions, criminal intimidation |
Note: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 came into force on 1 July 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, 1860. These notes follow the new BNS section numbering.
Download the BNS (Criminal Law I) Complete Bundle + Question Bank — ₹199 — the full study notes plus a Question Bank of model answers (essays + 40+ solved problems) for every previously-asked KSLU question, mapped to the new BNS sections: PYQ-mapped topics, charts, case-law tables, 16-mark essay blueprints and solved IRAC problems for all 5 units.
🆓 Free sample: Download Unit 1 (free PDF)