Skip to main content
Adhikar is an independent citizen-awareness initiative — not a Government of India website.
Home BNS Explained Mob Lynching, Organised Crime & Terrorism
§113

Terrorist Act

Plain-English Summary — Not Verbatim Statutory Text

Brings a definition of terrorism directly into the general criminal code for the first time. Covers any act done with intent to threaten (or that is likely to threaten) India's unity, integrity, sovereignty, security or economic security, or with intent to strike terror (or likely to strike terror) among the people or a section of the people, in India or a foreign country.

  • Terrorism-specific offences were previously handled almost entirely under a separate special law (UAPA) — this section creates an overlapping general-code definition, which has drawn debate over how the two will interact in practice.

Mostly relevant as background context for how India's criminal law is now structured — this is not a provision an ordinary citizen is likely to encounter directly, but it's worth knowing it now exists in the main code, not just a special law.