Criminal Law

Filing a First Information Report (FIR) in India is now governed by Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which replaced Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The BNSS has introduced two significant reforms: the statutory codification of the zero FIR (allowing filing at any police station regardless of jurisdiction) and the formal recognition of electronic FIR (e-FIR) filing. This guide explains the complete process for filing an FIR onl

Being arrested is one of the most frightening experiences a person can face. In India, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) with effect from July 1, 2024, sets out the rights of every arrested person and the duties of every police officer making an arrest. Knowing these rights is not just useful for the person arrested; it is essential for their family members who must act quickly in the immediate aftermath.

The NEET UG 2026 examination, held on May 3 for over 2.27 million medical aspirants, was cancelled on May 12, 2026, following confirmed evidence of a large-scale paper leak. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is now leading the investigation, with 13 arrests made so far across Delhi, Jaipur, Gurugram, Nasik, Pune, Latur, and Ahilyanagar. The National Testing Agency (NTA) has scheduled a retest for June 21, with the Indian Air Force deployed to transport question papers

One of the most frequently searched legal questions in India is whether the police can arrest a person without a warrant. The answer is: yes, but only under specific conditions defined by law. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), the power to arrest without a warrant is governed primarily by Section 35. This guide explains when the police can and cannot arrest without a warrant, the conditions they mu

Anticipatory bail is a pre-arrest legal remedy that allows a person who reasonably apprehends arrest in a non-bailable offence to obtain a court direction that, if arrested, they shall be released on bail. Since July 1, 2024, anticipatory bail in India is governed by Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, which replaced the former Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973. This guide focuses specifically on the practical process o

One of the most frustrating experiences a crime victim can face is going to the police station to report an offence, only to have the police refuse to register a First Information Report (FIR). This refusal is not only a violation of the officer's statutory duty but also a denial of the victim's fundamental right to access the criminal justice system. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure, provides clear legal remed

Being arrested or facing the prospect of arrest is one of the most stressful experiences a person can go through, and understanding how bail works in India is essential for anyone navigating the criminal justice system. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure with effect from July 1, 2024, governs the law of bail. This guide explains the different types of bail, the step-by-step process for applying, the courts that g

In two significant developments in May 2026, the Bombay High Court quashed a POCSO case after the accused married the minor prosecutrix who was seven months pregnant, and the Delhi High Court laid down detailed guidelines for when courts may quash POCSO cases involving consensual adolescent relationships. These decisions address one of the most contested questions in Indian criminal law: whether the strict liability framework of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences

The Supreme Court of India on 22nd May 2026 referred critical questions regarding bail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to a larger bench, in a decision arising from the prolonged incarceration of Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case. A Division Bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and PB Varale observed inconsistencies in recent judicial decisions on UAPA bail and held that a larger bench must authoritatively sett

The Calcutta High Court on May 21, 2026, granted interim protection to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee in connection with an FIR filed over his alleged remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the 2026 West Bengal Assembly election campaign. The Court directed the West Bengal Police not to take any coercive action against Banerjee until July 31, 2026, subject to certain conditions including restrictions on travel and cooperation with the investigating offi

The Delhi High Court on May 18, 2026, granted interim bail to jailed Baramulla MP Abdul Rashid Sheikh, popularly known as Engineer Rashid, in a terror funding case registered by the National Investigation Agency. The interim bail was granted following the death of Rashid's father at AIIMS, New Delhi, in the intervening night of May 17 and 18. The Court allowed the bail until June 2, 2026, to enable Rashid to perform burial rites and customary ceremonies. This is the latest in

The Supreme Court of India has once again underscored that the right to a speedy trial is a fundamental right under Article 21 of the Constitution and that prolonged incarceration without trial can itself constitute a valid ground for granting bail. In recent proceedings, the Court reiterated that when the trial is unlikely to conclude in the foreseeable future and the accused has already spent a significant period in custody, continued detention becomes punitive rather than

The Allahabad High Court on May 16, 2026, granted bail to eight of the fourteen Muslim men arrested in connection with an iftar party held on a boat in the river Ganga in Varanasi in March 2026. While granting bail, the Court observed that throwing non-vegetarian food remains into the Ganga can hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. However, the Court also took note of the genuine remorse expressed by the accused and their families through affidavits filed befo

Delhi High Court Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on May 14, 2026, initiated criminal contempt proceedings against former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders for alleged defamatory statements, edited videos, and vilifying social media posts directed at the judge in connection with the Delhi Excise Policy case. After initiating the contempt proceedings, Justice Sharma recused herself from further hearing the excise policy case and transfe

Uttarakhand police have registered India's first criminal case for nikah halala under the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), marking a significant milestone in the enforcement of the landmark legislation. The FIR was filed at Buggawala police station in Haridwar district after a woman named Shaheen accused her husband Mohammad Danish and members of his family of forcing her into the practice of nikah halala, along with dowry harassment and physical torture. Five persons have been book

The Ministry of Home Affairs has notified May 15, 2026, as the enforcement date for key provisions of the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026. This landmark regulatory reform decriminalises over 1,000 offences and amends 784 provisions across 79 Central Acts administered by 23 Ministries. The Act represents one of the most sweeping legislative reforms aimed at reducing the compliance burden on businesses and citizens, replacing criminal penalties for minor, techni

A Delhi court has rejected the bail application of Jawad Ahmad Siddiqui, Chairman of Al-Falah University in Faridabad, Haryana, in a money laundering case filed by the Enforcement Directorate. The ED alleges that Siddiqui was involved in laundering Rs 493.24 crore in proceeds of crime generated through fraudulent claims about the university's accreditation status. Siddiqui was arrested in November 2025 under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), and the court f

The Supreme Court of India set aside an anticipatory bail order granted by the Allahabad High Court to an accused person who had 22 FIRs registered against him across Uttar Pradesh. In Sharad Sehgal v. State of Uttar Pradesh, the de facto complainant Sharad Sehgal filed a Special Leave Petition challenging the High Court's order dated January 28, 2026. A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and Vijay Bishnoi held that criminal antecedents of an accused are a relevant and sufficie

A Delhi court in May 2026 extended the judicial custody of Rahul Meena, the accused in the rape and murder of a 22-year-old engineering graduate who was the daughter of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. The case, which has generated significant public attention since the arrest in April 2026, involves allegations that Meena, a former domestic help of the victim's family, entered the residence in southeast Delhi's upscale Kailash Hills locality and committed the crime.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has held that an accused person who has already been granted regular bail in a case cannot seek anticipatory bail merely because a graver offence has been added to the FIR at a later stage. The Court observed that such an accused is deemed to be in "constructive custody of law" by virtue of the regular bail already granted and therefore cannot invoke the remedy of anticipatory bail, which is available only to a person who apprehends arrest. T