Kedar Nath Singh v State of Bihar (1962)

BNS · Offences Against the State

Facts.

The accused was convicted of sedition (old s.124A) for a speech critical of the government.

Issue.

Is sedition constitutional, and how far does it reach?

Held.

s.124A is constitutional only if read narrowly — it punishes speech with a tendency to incite violence or public disorder, not mere criticism of the government. This narrowing principle carries into the reading of the BNS’s s.152.

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