Section 112

Section 112 is another entirely new provision in the BNS — it creates the offence of 'petty organised crime,' targeting the mid-tier of criminal organisation that sits between ordinary individual crime and the full organised crime syndicate of Section 111. Petty organised crime covers groups that systematically commit crimes that individually would be treated as relatively minor offences, but whose organised, repeated, and group-based commission makes them significantly more harmful than isolated incidents. The specific examples listed — theft, snatching, cheating, touting (unauthorised ticket selling), illegal betting, gambling, and exam paper leaks — are all crimes that frequently operate through informal networks, gangs, and organised groups rather than lone individuals. The exam paper leak provision is particularly significant: it directly addresses the organised criminal industry around leaking UPSC, SSC, NEET, and state board examination papers — a practice that has repeatedly devastated students and exposed the systemic corruption of educational institutions. By requiring group or gang membership as an element, Section 112 ensures that an individual who commits theft once is not captured — the provision targets repeat group-based criminal activity. The minimum one-year sentence and non-bailable status give law enforcement substantially greater leverage against these networks than the provisions that apply to individual commission of the same acts.