Attempt to Commit an Offence Under the BNS (Section 62): IPC 511 Mapping (2026)
What the general offence of attempt means under Section 62 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, the old IPC Section 511 it replaced, the punishment, and what changed. Last verified October 2026.
Explainer · BNS · New Criminal Code
Attempt to commit an offence is punished under Section 62 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), which replaced Section 511 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). It is the general section for attempts where the Sanhita gives no separate punishment. The punishment is up to one-half of the longest term provided for the offence, or fine, or both. Last verified October 2026.
- Section: the general offence of attempt is BNS Section 62.
- Old law: it replaced Section 511 of the IPC.
- When it applies: where a person attempts an offence and does an act towards it, and the code gives no separate punishment for that attempt.
- Punishment: up to one-half of imprisonment for life, or one-half of the longest term for the offence, or fine, or both.
- Tracking: Claw searches and tracks Section 62 matters across 9,102 courts, benches and forums.
01What Section 62 of the BNS covers
Section 62 of the BNS is the general, residual provision for attempts. It applies where a person attempts to commit an offence punishable with imprisonment, and does some act towards committing it, but the Sanhita does not elsewhere provide a separate punishment for that attempt.
The idea is this. Many serious offences already have their own attempt provision. Attempt to murder, for example, is a separate offence with its own punishment. See attempt to murder under BNS Section 109. Where no such special provision exists, Section 62 fills the gap.
Two ingredients matter:
- an intention to commit the offence; and
- an act towards the commission of the offence, which goes beyond mere preparation.
The line between preparation and attempt
Buying a weapon may be preparation. Pointing and pulling the trigger is an attempt. The law punishes the step taken towards the crime, once the person has moved past getting ready. Where the person stops short on their own, or is stopped, the attempt may still be complete if an act towards the offence was done.
Section 62 does not create a new offence by name. It supplies the punishment for the act of attempting, when nothing else in the code does.
02Old to new: IPC Section 511 to BNS Section 62
Under the Indian Penal Code, the general punishment for attempts was Section 511, the last section of the code. The BNS has moved this rule to Section 62, in the early part of the code among the general provisions.
| Topic | Old law (IPC) | New law (BNS) |
|---|---|---|
| General punishment for attempting to commit offences | Section 511 | Section 62 |
A matter for an act on or after 1 July 2024 uses Section 62 of the BNS. An older matter stays under Section 511 of the IPC. See the IPC to BNS section mapping for the full table.
03Punishment and classification
The punishment under Section 62 is tied to the offence attempted, as a fraction of it.
A person who attempts to commit an offence punishable with imprisonment for life or imprisonment, and does an act towards its commission, is punished, where no express provision is made, with:
- imprisonment up to one-half of imprisonment for life, or
- imprisonment up to one-half of the longest term provided for that offence, or
- the fine provided for the offence, or both.
So the attempt attracts, at most, half of what the completed offence would. Because Section 62 borrows the punishment from the target offence, the classification of the attempt, whether it is cognizable, bailable, and which court tries it, generally follows the offence attempted.
Section 62 punishes the attempt at up to half of what the completed offence would carry. It applies only where the code does not already provide a special punishment for that attempt.
04What changed from the old law
In substance, Section 62 keeps the old rule. The need for intention and an act towards the offence, the residual nature of the section, and the one-half formula all carry over from Section 511 of the IPC.
The visible changes are the number and the placement. The rule has moved from the very end of the code, Section 511, to Section 62 among the general provisions near the start. For an act on or after 1 July 2024 the citation is Section 62 of the BNS. The case law on the difference between preparation and attempt, built under Section 511, remains useful because the test did not change.
For the wider reform, see the new criminal laws of 2024.
05Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Charges of attempt turn on fine facts and on how courts have drawn the line between preparation and attempt. An advocate needs to see how Section 62, and the old Section 511, have been applied, and to keep track of a live matter. Claw lets you search and track cases, orders and judgments by section, party or advocate across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, with 30 crore and more judgments and results in under 5 seconds. You can pull up how courts have treated an attempt charge, and follow a pending matter with automatic updates, cause lists and alerts.
Claw does not file your case or give legal advice, and Claw does not use customer case documents to train AI models. Create a FREE Claw account to search and track cases under this section by party or advocate name.
This explainer is general information, not legal advice.
06Sources and further reading
- India Code (official text of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023): indiacode.nic.in
- Ministry of Home Affairs (new criminal laws): mha.gov.in
- Section 62 BNS, bare text reference: devgan.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
Always read the section as it stands on the day you act, and take advice from counsel. The law changes through amendments and judgments.
07Frequently asked questions
What is Section 62 of the BNS?
Section 62 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 is the general provision for punishing an attempt to commit an offence where the code provides no separate punishment for that attempt. It replaced Section 511 of the IPC.
Which IPC section did BNS 62 replace?
It replaced Section 511 of the Indian Penal Code, which was the general residual provision for attempts. The rule has moved from the end of the code to Section 62 among the general provisions.
What is the punishment for attempt under BNS 62?
A person who attempts the offence and does an act towards it is punished with up to one-half of imprisonment for life, or up to one-half of the longest term provided for the offence, or the fine for the offence, or both, where no express provision is made elsewhere.
What is the difference between preparation and attempt?
Preparation is getting ready to commit the offence, which is usually not punishable on its own. Attempt is taking a step towards committing it that goes beyond preparation. Section 62 punishes the attempt, not mere preparation.
Does Section 62 apply to attempt to murder?
No. Attempt to murder has its own separate offence and punishment under the BNS, so Section 62 does not apply to it. Section 62 is residual and fills the gap only where the code gives no special attempt provision.
Can I track an attempt case in Claw?
Yes. Claw lets you search and track cases, orders and judgments on attempt, under the BNS or the old Section 511, by section, party or advocate across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, with results in under 5 seconds. It tracks the matter but does not file the case or give legal advice.