Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Section 297
Period of detention undergone by accused to be set off against sentence of imprisonment
The provisions of section 468 shall apply, for setting off the period of detention undergone by the accused against the sentence of imprisonment imposed under this Chapter, in the same manner as they apply in respect of the imprisonment under other provisions of this Sanhita.
Why this exists
Without this cross-reference, someone who had already spent months in pre-trial custody might be forced to serve their full plea-bargained sentence on top of that time, unfairly punishing them twice. This provision ensures the same fairness rule used everywhere else in the law, counting time already served, also applies to plea-bargain sentences.