Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 397
Treatment of victims
All hospitals, public or private, whether run by the Central Government, the State Government, local bodies or any other person, shall immediately, provide the first-aid or medical treatment, free of cost, to the victims of any offence covered under section 64, section 65, section 66, section 67, section 68, section 70, section 71 or sub-section (1) of section 124 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) or under sections 4, 6, 8 or section 10 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 (32 of 2012), and shall immediately inform the police of such incident.
Why this exists
Victims of serious violent or sexual crimes often need urgent medical attention, and delays over payment, admission procedures, or jurisdiction can cost lives or worsen harm. This section makes emergency treatment an absolute, universal obligation on every hospital — public or private — and pairs it with mandatory police notification so that medical care and legal accountability move forward together without one holding up the other.
Common misconceptions
- Myth: Only government hospitals are required to give free emergency treatment to crime victims.
Fact: This section applies to all hospitals, public or private, run by anyone at all.