Act done in good faith for benefit of a person without consent
Section 30 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 deals with act done in good faith for benefit of a person without consent. Nothing is an offence by reason of any harm which it may cause to a person for whose benefit it is done in good faith, even without that person's consent, if the circumstances are such that it is impossible for that person to signify consent, or if that person is incapable of giving consent, and has The Act came into force on 01 Jul 2024.
Nothing is an offence by reason of any harm which it may cause to a person for whose benefit it is done in good faith, even without that person's consent, if the circumstances are such that it is impossible for that person to signify consent, or if that person is incapable of giving consent, and has no guardian or other person in lawful charge of him from whom it is possible to obtain consent in time for the thing to be done with benefit:
Provided that this exception shall not extend to--
(a) the intentional causing of death, or the attempting to cause death;
(b) the doing of anything which the person doing it knows to be likely to cause death, for any purpose other than the preventing of death or grievous hurt, or the curing of any grievous disease or infirmity;
(c) the voluntary causing of hurt, or to the attempting to cause hurt, for any purpose other than the preventing of death or hurt;
(d) the abetment of any offence, to the committing of which offence it would not extend.
Illustrations.
(1) Z is thrown from his horse, and is insensible. A, a surgeon, finds that Z requires to be trepanned.
A, not intending Zs death, but in good faith, for Z's benefit, performs the trepan before Z recovers his power of judging for himself. A has committed no offence.
(2) Z is carried off by a tiger. A fires at the tiger knowing it to be likely that the shot may kill Z, but not intending to kill Z, and in good faith intending Z's benefit. A's bullet gives Z a mortal wound. A has committed no offence.
(3) A, a surgeon, sees a child suffer an accident which is likely to prove fatal unless an operation be immediately performed. There is no time to apply to the child's guardian. A performs the operation in spite of the entreaties of the child, intending, in good faith, the child's benefit. A has committed no offence.
(4) A is in a house which is on fire, with Z, a child. People below hold out a blanket. A drops the child from the house top, knowing it to be likely that the fall may kill the child, but not intending to kill the child, and intending, in good faith, the child's benefit. Here, even if the child is killed by the fall, A has committed no offence.
Explanation.---Mere pecuniary benefit is not benefit within the meaning of sections 26, 27 and this section.
Section 30, The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act 45 of 2023).
Replaces a provision of the Indian Penal Code
IPC 92 Act done in good faith for benefit of a person without consent Text carried over almost unchanged 97%
Measured by comparing the text of the two provisions, not taken from an official correspondence table — there is no machine-readable one. See both texts side by side before relying on it.
Both regimes are live. The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force. We never redirect one to the other.
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Chandra Bhusan Singh vs The State of Bihar
Decided under Indian Penal Code 92, which this section replaces. The court did not have this Act before it.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
The lower court's decision regarding charges under IPC Sections 62/92 against Chandra Bhusan Singh was found to be legally unsustainable or improperly reasoned, warranting appellate intervention and reversal in favor of the appellant.
On this section: Criminal charge against appellant; specific provision under which appellant was prosecuted
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 30
What have the courts held on Section 30 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
Chandra Bhusan Singh vs The State of Bihar (30 May 2015) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below, though it was decided under IPC 92, which this section replaced -- the court never mentioned this Act: Criminal charge against appellant; specific provision under which appellant was prosecuted.
How do I find court cases under Section 30 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: BNS 30, section 30 BNS, section 30 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Chandra Bhusan Singh vs The State of Bihar (30 May 2015).
What should I read with Section 30 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 26 (Act not intended to cause death, done by consent in good faith for person's benefit), section 27 (Act done in good faith for benefit of child or person of unsound mind, by, or by consent of guardian), so none of them can safely be read on its own. It carries forward IPC 92 (Act done in good faith for benefit of a person without consent), so the judgments decided under that provision are the case law on this one.
When did Section 30 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita come into force?
Section 30 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, cited as BNS 30, came into force on 01 Jul 2024, having been enacted on 25 Dec 2023. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
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- 3. General explanations858 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.