Section 62

Section 62 is the general 'attempt' provision — it catches all criminal attempts not otherwise specifically defined in the BNS (specific provisions like BNS 109 for attempt to murder carry their own punishments). The section embodies a crucial principle: the state has a legitimate interest in punishing those who have crossed from mere intention (unpunishable) into actual conduct directed at committing an offence. The key phrase is 'does any act towards the commission' — Indian courts use the 'Proximity Test' to determine when preparation ends and attempt begins. The act must be sufficiently proximate (close in time, place, and causation) to the completed offence. Purchasing poison is preparation; adding it to someone's food is attempt. Loading a gun is preparation; pointing it at someone and pulling the trigger (even if it misfires) is attempt. The 50% punishment rule acknowledges that attempt is morally less culpable than completion — the intended victim survived, the harm was averted. BNS 62 applies to a wide range of offences — attempted burglary, attempted extortion, attempted cheating — that lack specific attempt provisions elsewhere.