Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 421
Special right of appeal in certain cases
Notwithstanding anything in this Chapter, when more persons than one are convicted in one trial, and an appealable judgment or order has been passed in respect of any of such persons, all or any of the persons convicted at such trial shall have a right of appeal.
Why this exists
In joint trials, different co-accused might otherwise face inconsistent appeal rights depending on technical differences in their individual sentences. This section ensures fairness and consistency by extending the right of appeal to all co-accused in a joint trial once any one of them has an appealable outcome, preventing arbitrary gaps in appeal rights among people tried together for related conduct. It continues section 380 of the CrPC, 1973.