Section 99 of THE BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA, 2023 – BNSS

Application to High Court to set aside declaration of forfeiture.

99. (1) Any person having any interest in any newspaper, book or other document, in
respect of which a declaration of forfeiture has been made under section 98, may, within two
months from the date of publication in the Official Gazette of such declaration, apply to the
High Court to set aside such declaration on the ground that the issue of the newspaper, or

the book or other document, in respect of which the declaration was made, did not contain
any such matter as is referred to in sub-section (1) of section 98.
(2) Every such application shall, where the High Court consists of three or more
Judges, be heard and determined by a Special Bench of the High Court composed of three
Judges and where the High Court consists of less than three Judges, such Special Bench
shall be composed of all the Judges of that High Court.
(3) On the hearing of any such application with reference to any newspaper, any copy
of such newspaper may be given in evidence in aid of the proof of the nature or tendency
of the words, signs or visible representations contained in such newspaper, in respect of
which the declaration of forfeiture was made.
(4) The High Court shall, if it is not satisfied that the issue of the newspaper, or the
book or other document, in respect of which the application has been made, contained any
such matter as is referred to in sub-section (1) of section 98, set aside the declaration of
forfeiture.
(5) Where there is a difference of opinion among the Judges forming the Special
Bench, the decision shall be in accordance with the opinion of the majority of those Judges.

Read also. Section 80 of THE BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA, 2023 – BNSS