Section 531: Repeal and savings

Earlier law: CrPC section 484 (Repeal and savings)

In plain words

This section repeals the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and deals with the changeover.

Appeals, applications, trials, inquiries and investigations pending when this Sanhita came into force continue under the old Code as if it had not been repealed.
Notifications, powers, jurisdictions, sentences, orders, rules and appointments (except Special Magistrates) made under the old Code are treated as made under the corresponding provisions of this Sanhita.
Sanctions or consents given under the old Code where no proceeding had begun can be used to start proceedings under this Sanhita.
A time limit that had already expired under the old Code is not revived by a longer limit in this Sanhita.

A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.

Official text

(1) The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) is hereby repealed.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 (2 of 1974), 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.

Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.

Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 12 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 531

State by Deputy Superintendent of Police v. B.T. Ramesh & Anr.
2025 INSC 84014 July 2025Partly allowed

Issue arose whether the High Court was justified in quashing the criminal proceedings, on the grounds of the chargesheet having been filed more than four years after the date of the alleged incident and lack of…
Central Bureau of Investigation v. Ramesh Chander Diwan
2025 INSC 53922 April 2025Dismissed

Whether the High Court was right in holding that sanction under Section 197, Cr.PC not having been obtained, the respondent should be discharged for the offences registered under Sections 120B and 420 of the IPC against…