Criminal Law I Notes for LLB — BNS 2023 Section Mapping & Cases
📑 Course: KSLU LL.B. (3-Year / 5-Year) • Semester: 1st Semester • Subject: Criminal Law I (BNS) “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
Free, exam-ready Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Criminal Law I) notes for LL.B. — concise topic notes, comparison charts, previous-year questions, landmark cases and solved IRAC problems, following the new BNS section numbering. Pick any topic below.
Note: The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 came into force on 1 July 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, 1860. See the IPC → BNS section conversion table.
Unit I — General Principles, Exceptions & Punishments
- Elements of Crime, Stages, Parties & the BNS Framework
- General Exceptions, Private Defence & Punishments
Unit II — Inchoate, Sexual & Offences Against Women and Children
- Inchoate Offences — Abetment, Conspiracy & Attempt
- Sexual Offences — Rape & Unnatural Offences
- Offences Against Women & Children
Unit III — Offences Affecting the Human Body
- Culpable Homicide, Murder, Transferred Malice & Death by Negligence
- Hurt, Grievous Hurt, Wrongful Restraint, Assault & Kidnapping
Unit IV — Offences Against the State, Public Tranquillity & Public Justice
- Offences Against the State, Public Tranquillity, Religion, Organised Crime & Terrorism
- Public Justice, Public Servants, Mischief, Trespass & Forgery
Unit V — Offences Against Property, Reputation & Liberty
- Offences Against Property — Theft, Robbery, Dacoity, Cheating & Breach of Trust
- Defamation, Criminal Intimidation & Insult
🔁 Reference
Landmark Case Laws
Full one-page briefs — facts, issue, held and why it matters — for every case the KSLU examiner keeps returning to:
| Case Name | Key Exam Concept | Quick Link |
|---|---|---|
| R v M’Naghten (1843) | The insanity test | Read Brief |
| Bachan Singh v State of Punjab (1980) | The “rarest of rare” rule | Read Brief |
| Barendra Kumar Ghosh v King-Emperor (1925) | Joint liability | Read Brief |
| Mobarik Ali Ahmed v State of Bombay (1957) | Extra-territorial reach | Read Brief |
| Abhayanand Mishra v State of Bihar (1961) | Preparation v attempt | Read Brief |
| Joseph Shine v Union of India (2018) | Adultery decriminalised | Read Brief |
| Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India (2018) | S.377 read down | Read Brief |
| Reg v Govinda (1876) | Culpable homicide v murder | Read Brief |
| Virsa Singh v State of Punjab (1958) | The intention-to-injure test | Read Brief |
| K.M. Nanavati v State of Maharashtra (1962) | Grave and sudden provocation | Read Brief |
| Jacob Mathew v State of Punjab (2005) | Medical negligence | Read Brief |
| Kedar Nath Singh v State of Bihar (1962) | Sedition read down | Read Brief |
| Masalti v State of U.P. (1965) | Common object | Read Brief |
| Ramji Lal Modi v State of U.P. (1957) | Offences relating to religion | Read Brief |
| K.N. Mehra v State of Rajasthan (1957) | Theft; temporary taking | Read Brief |
| State of Gujarat v Jaswantlal Nathalal (1968) | Entrustment | Read Brief |
| Hari Prasad Chamaria v Bishun Kumar Surekha (1974) | Cheating v breach of contract | Read Brief |
| Subramanian Swamy v Union of India (2016) | Criminal defamation upheld | Read Brief |
✏️ Practice
- 10 Solved Problems (IRAC Method) — exam-style problems worked in full
- Past Questions & Exam Topics — previously-asked questions, mapped to topics
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 exam question, mapped to the new BNS sections.
🆓 Free sample: Download Unit 1 (free PDF)