Suicide Attempt: Crime or Not under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?

Is Attempting Suicide a Crime under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)?

However, police continue to investigate mysterious or suspicious suicide cases

Babushahi Bureau

Chandigarh, October 8, 2025

Is attempting suicide still a criminal offence in India? The question has resurfaced in public debate following the implementation of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) . Earlier, under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) , attempting suicide was considered a punishable offence. However, the new Nyaya Sanhita has completely redefined this legal interpretation.

Advocate Hemant Kumar of the Punjab and Haryana High Court explained:

Now, under normal circumstances, attempting suicide is not a crime , though it remai

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