The term “Victim” has been defined:

in the section 2(wa) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 and

in the section 2(1)(y) of the Bharatiya Nagarika Suraksha Sanhita-2023.

Victim has right to participate in every step of criminal process till conclusion of appeal.

A victim of a crime cannot be asked to wait till the trial begins to assert his/ her right to participate in criminal proceedings against the accused, the Supreme Court observed. 

a victim of crime has the right to to be heard at every step right from the stage of investigation till the culmination of the proceedings in an appeal or revision.

“A ‘victim’ within the meaning of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) cannot be asked to await the commencement of trial for asserting his/her right to participate in the proceedings. He/ she has a legally vested right to be heard at every step post the occurrence of an offence. Such a ‘victim’ has unbridled participatory rights from the stage of investigation till the culmination of the proceedings in an appeal or revision,”