BNS §58

Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life

ModifiedConfidence: mediumStatus: editor verifiedscope drift(observed)
Last updated 2026-05-01 · Input coverage: full

Compiled by AI-assisted tools. Text verified against official sources where indicated. Field-level labels (AI-indicated / AI-inferred / Text-verified) apply per edge metadata. Verify current bail/cognizable status against official sources before relying on procedural claims. Last updated: 2026-04-28.

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Comparison

Old law
IPC §118
Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life. If offence be committed; if offence be not committed

118. Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life.— Whoever intending to facilitate or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby facilitate the commission of an offence punishable with death or 1[imprisonment for life], 1. Subs. by Act 26 of 1955, s. 117 and the Sch., for “transportation for life” (w.e.f. 1-1-1956). 1[voluntarily conceals by any act or illegal omission, or by the use of encryption or any other information hiding tool, the existence of a design] to commit such offence or makes any representation which he knows to be false respecting such design, if offence be committed; if offence be not committed.—shall, if that offence be committed, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or, if the offence be not committed, with imprisonment of either description, for a term which may extend to three years; and in either case shall also be liable to fine. Illustration A, knowing that dacoity is about to be committed at B, falsely informs the Magistrate that a dacoity is about to be committed at C, a place in an opposite direction, and thereby misleads the Magistrate with intent to facilitate the commission of the offence. The dacoity is committed at B in pursuance of the design. A is punishable under this section.

New law
BNS §58
Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life

Whoever intending to facilitate or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby facilitate the commission of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, voluntarily conceals by any act or omission, or by the use of encryption or any other information hiding tool, the existence of a design to commit such offence or makes any representation which he knows to be false respecting such design shall,—

(a) if that offence be committed, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years; or

(b) if the offence be not committed, with imprisonment of either description, for a term which may extend to three years,

and shall also be liable to fine.

What changedAI-inferred

IPC Section 118 prescribed punishment for concealing the design to commit an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life. The means of concealment in IPC 118 were limited to any act or illegal omission. BNS Section 58 retains the same offence structure, sub-clauses (a) and (b) for committed/not-committed punishments, and the dacoity-misdirection illustration — but EXTENDS the means-of-concealment list to include 'or by the use of encryption or any other information hiding tool'. This addition is a substantive set-extension reflecting digital-age concealment methods (encrypted messaging, anonymisation tools, steganography, etc.).

Old position

IPC 118 is concerned with Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life. If offence be committed; if offence be not committed. Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life

New position

BNS 58 modifies the framework. Topic: Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life. Whoever intending to facilitate or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby facilitate the commission of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, voluntarily conceals by any act or omission, or by the use of

IPC Section 118 prescribed punishment for concealing the design to commit an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life. The means of concealment in IPC 118 were limited to any act or illegal omission . BNS Section 58 retains the same offence structure, sub-clauses (a) and (b) for...

Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)

BNS 58 carries forward IPC 118's framework for criminalising concealment of a design to commit an offence punishable with death or life imprisonment. The visible operative delta is the addition of use of encryption or any other information hiding tool as a mode of concealment alongside the IPC 118 act-or-illegal-omission formulation. Punishment levels (term may extend to seven years and fine, or three years if offence committed) are preserved.

Transitional note (repeal & savings)

For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, IPC 118 continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNS 58 applies. The transition is governed by the repeal-and-savings clause in the new code (BNS 358 / BNSS 531 / BSA 170 as the case may be); pending proceedings under the old code carry forward unaffected.

Frequently asked

BNS 58 (Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life). The relationship is classified as modified — see the change-note above for the textual delta.

Sources

Cite this page

Newlaws.in, IPC §118 → BNS §58 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-06-14, https://newlaws.in/bns/58.

Compiled using AI-assisted tools · Source-linked · Last updated 2026-05-01

Not legal advice. Verify against the bare act and consult a qualified advocate for any specific matter.