BNSS Section 25 — Sentence in cases of conviction of several offences at one trial

Summary

When a person is found guilty of more than one crime in a single trial, the court can give separate punishments for each crime, as long as those punishments are within the court's power. The court must decide, based on how serious the crimes are, whether the punishments will run at the same time (concurrently) or one after the other (consecutively). If the court orders consecutive sentences, it does not have to send the person to a higher court just because the total punishment is more than what the court could give for a single crime. However, the total prison time cannot be more than twenty years, and the combined punishment cannot be more than double what the court could give for one crime. For the purpose of appeal, all consecutive sentences added together are treated as a single sentence.

Official Text

(1) When a person is convicted at one trial of two or more offences, the Court may, subject to the provisions of section 9 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, sentence him for such offences, to the several punishments prescribed therefor which such Court is competent to inflict and the Court shall, considering the gravity of offences, order such punishments to run concurrently or consecutively.

(2) In the case of consecutive sentences, it shall not be necessary for the Court by reason only of the aggregate punishment for the several offences being in excess of the punishment which it is competent to inflict on conviction of a single offence, to send the offender for trial before a higher Court:

Provided that—

(a) in no case shall such person be sentenced to imprisonment for a longer period than twenty years;

(b) the aggregate punishment shall not exceed twice the amount of punishment which the Court is competent to inflict for a single offence.

(3) For the purpose of appeal by a convicted person, the aggregate of the consecutive sentences passed against him under this section shall be deemed to be a single sentence.

Related Judgments

• SC (2025) Vol.5 p.730 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.6 p.545 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2024) Vol.7 p.979 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
• SC (2025) Vol.2 p.1588 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• .. Petitioner/Accused No.12 vs The State of Tamilnadu, — Madras High Court ()
• SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1309 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.11 p.291 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.1 p.1469 — Supreme Court of India (2025)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• CrPC §31 — Sentence in cases of conviction of several offences at one trial