Section 70 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) laid down the form of a warrant of arrest and how long it lasts. Since 1 July 2024 the same rule, unchanged, is Section 72 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS): every warrant of arrest issued by a court must be in writing, signed by the presiding officer of the court and bear the court’s seal, and under sub-section (2) it “shall remain in force until it is cancelled by the Court which issued it, or until it is executed.” An arrest warrant therefore has no expiry date. Under the Act it ends when the person is arrested under it or when the court that issued it cancels it (a higher court can also set aside the proceedings).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether a warrant is “bailable” depends on the next section, Section 73 BNSS (formerly Section 71 CrPC): if the court endorses on it that the person may be released on a bail bond with sureties, it is a bailable warrant; without that endorsement the person is brought before the court, which decides on bail. This page explains these sections, the Supreme Court’s rules on warrants, cancellation, and gives a summary in Hindi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Section 70 CrPC \/ Section 72 BNSS at a glance<\/p>\n
Reviewed and updated by Century Law Firm, Delhi \u2013 October 2026. Statutory references are to the Acts as in force on that date. The BNSS and the BNS are quoted from India Code (English texts as on 6 October 2025, with no later amendment to the sections discussed), the Hindi wording of the BNSS from the Gazette text on India Code, the Constitution from the Legislative Department’s 2026 edition, and the judgments from the Supreme Court’s own copies.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Section 70 CrPC is now Section 72 BNSS. The firm’s comparison data, checked against the Gazette, records “No change” between the two. The BNSS text reads:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “72. Form of warrant of arrest and duration.\u2014(1) Every warrant of arrest issued by a Court under this Sanhita shall be in writing, signed by the presiding officer of such Court and shall bear the seal of the Court.Section 70 CrPC and Section 72 BNSS: the text<\/h2>\n\n\n\n