Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 500
Appeal against orders under section 498 or section 499
(1) Any person aggrieved by an order made by a Court or Magistrate under section 498 or section 499, may appeal against it to the Court to which appeals ordinarily lie from convictions by the former Court.
(2) On such appeal, the Appellate Court may direct the order to be stayed pending disposal of the appeal, or may modify, alter or annul the order and make any further orders that may be just.
(3) The powers referred to in sub-section (2) may also be exercised by a Court of appeal, confirmation or revision while dealing with the case in which the order referred to in sub-section (1) was made.
Why this exists
Decisions about who gets to keep property after a criminal trial can be just as consequential as the criminal verdict itself, sometimes involving valuable assets or compensation to innocent buyers. This section ensures such property orders aren't final at the trial court level and can be reviewed by a higher court. It mirrors section 454 of the earlier CrPC.