"Punjab & Haryana High Court's Groundbreaking Ruling on BNSS and CrPC"
Landmark Ruling by the Punjab & Haryana High Court on the Applicability of BNSS vs CrPC In a recent and pivotal judgment, the Punjab & Haryana High Court has clarified how the new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 interacts with the now-repealed Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), 1973. This ruling stems from a case involving Mandeep Singh, convicted under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act—a provision that deals with the dishonor of cheques. Case Background: Mandeep Singh, after being convicted, sought to file a criminal revision petition under Section 401 of the CrPC. However, the petition was filed 38 days after the deadline stipulated under the CrPC. Crucially, Singh filed this petition after July 1, 2024, the date on which the BNSS replaced the CrPC. The court had to decide whether the petition would be adjudicated under the BNSS or the CrPC. This decision was critical, as the new BNSS brought significant procedural changes, and there wa