Bare Acts

The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

2023 · Ministry of Home Affairs · In force · synced 04 Jul 2026

1.Short title, commencement and application 2.Definitions 3.General explanations

II — OF PUNISHMENTS

4.Punishments 5.Commutation of sentence 6.Fractions of terms of punishment 7.Sentence may be (in certain cases of imprisonment) wholly or partly rigorous or simple 8.Amount of fine, liability in default of payment of fine, etc 9.Limit of punishment of offence made up of several offences 10.Punishment of person guilty of one of several offences, judgment stating that it is doubtful of which 11.Solitary confinement 12.Limit of solitary confinement 13.Enhanced punishment for certain offences after previous conviction

III

14.Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law 15.Act of Judge when acting judicially 16.Act done pursuant to judgment or order of Court 17.Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself justified, by law 18.Accident in doing a lawful act 19.Act likely to cause harm, but done without criminal intent, and to prevent other harm 20.Act of a child under seven years of age 21.Act of a child above seven and under twelve years of age of immature understanding 22.Act of a person of unsound mind 23.Act of a person incapable of judgment by reason of intoxication caused against his will 24.Offence requiring a particular intent or knowledge committed by one who is intoxicated 25.Act not intended and not known to be likely to cause death or grievous hurt, done by consent 26.Act not intended to cause death, done by consent in good faith for person’s benefit 27.Act done in good faith for benefit of child or person of unsound mind, by, or by consent of guardian 28.Consent known to be given under fear or misconception 29.Exclusion of acts which are offences independently of harm caused 30.Act done in good faith for benefit of a person without consent 31.Communication made in good faith 32.Act to which a person is compelled by threats 33.Act causing slight harm 34.Things done in private defence 35.Right of private defence of body and of property 36.Right of private defence against act of a person of unsound mind, etc 37.Acts against which there is no right of private defence 38.When right of private defence of body extends to causing death 39.When such right extends to causing any harm other than death 40.Commencement and continuance of right of private defence of body 41.When right of private defence of property extends to causing death 42.When such right extends to causing any harm other than death 43.Commencement and continuance of right of private defence of property 44.Right of private defence against deadly assault when there is risk of harm to innocent person

45.Abetment of a thing 46.Abettor 47.Abetment in India of offences outside India 48.Abetment outside India for offence in India 49.Punishment of abetment if act abetted is committed in consequence and where no express provision is made for its punishment 50.Punishment of abetment if person abetted does act with different intention from that of abettor 51.Liability of abettor when one act abetted and different act done 52.Abettor when liable to cumulative punishment for act abetted and for act done 53.Liability of abettor for an effect caused by act abetted different from that intended by abettor 54.Abettor present when offence is committed 55.Abetment of offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life 56.Abetment of offence punishable with imprisonment 57.Abetting commission of offence by public or by more than ten persons 58.Concealing design to commit offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life 59.Public servant concealing design to commit offence which it is his duty to prevent 60.Concealing design to commit offence punishable with imprisonment 61.Criminal conspiracy 62.Punishment for attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment

63.Rape 64.Punishment for rape 65.Punishment for rape in certain cases 66.Punishment for causing death or resulting in persistent vegetative state of victim 67.Sexual intercourse by husband upon his wife during separation 68.Sexual intercourse by a person in authority 69.Sexual intercourse by employing deceitful means, etc 70.Gang rape 71.Punishment for repeat offenders 72.Disclosure of identity of victim of certain offences, etc 73.Printing or publishing any matter relating to Court proceedings without permission 74.Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty 75.Sexual harassment 76.Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe 77.Voyeurism 78.Stalking 79.Word, gesture or act intended to insult modesty of a woman 80.Dowry death 81.Cohabitation caused by man deceitfully inducing belief of lawful marriage 82.Marrying again during lifetime of husband or wife 83.Marriage ceremony fraudulently gone through without lawful marriage 84.Enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a married woman 85.Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty 86.Cruelty defined 87.Kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage, etc 88.Causing miscarriage 89.Causing miscarriage without woman’s consent 90.Death caused by act done with intent to cause miscarriage 91.Act done with intent to prevent child being born alive or to cause to die after birth 92.Causing death of quick unborn child by act amounting to culpable homicide 93.Exposure and abandonment of child under twelve years of age, by parent or person having care of it 94.Concealment of birth by secret disposal of dead body 95.Hiring, employing or engaging a child to commit an offence 96.Procuration of child 97.Kidnapping or abducting child under ten years of age with intent to steal from its person 98.Selling child for purposes of prostitution, etc 99.Buying child for purposes of prostitution, etc

100.Culpable homicide 101.Murder 102.Culpable homicide by causing death of person other than person whose death was intended 103.Punishment for murder 104.Punishment for murder by life-convict 105.Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder 106.Causing death by negligence 107.Abetment of suicide of child or person of unsound mind 108.Abetment of suicide 109.Attempt to murder 110.Attempt to commit culpable homicide 111.Organised crime 112.Petty organised crime 113.Terrorist act 114.Hurt 115.Voluntarily causing hurt 116.Grievous hurt 117.Voluntarily causing grievous hurt 118.Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means 119.Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act 120.Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to extort confession, or to compel restoration of property 121.Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty 122.Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt on provocation 123.Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence 124.Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc 125.Act endangering life or personal safety of others 126.Wrongful restraint 127.Wrongful confinement 128.Force 129.Criminal force 130.Assault 131.Punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation 132.Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty 133.Assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person, otherwise than on grave provocation 134.Assault or criminal force in attempt to commit theft of property carried by a person 135.Assault or criminal force in attempt to wrongfully confine a person 136.Assault or criminal force on grave provocation 137.Kidnapping 138.Abduction 139.Kidnapping or maiming a child for purposes of begging 140.Kidnapping or abducting in order to murder or for ransom, etc 141.Importation of girl or boy from foreign country 142.Wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, kidnapped or abducted person 143.Trafficking of person 144.Exploitation of a trafficked person 145.Habitual dealing in slaves 146.Unlawful compulsory labour

VII

147.Waging, or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war, against Government of India 148.Conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 147 149.Collecting arms, etc., with intention of waging war against Government of India 150.Concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war 151.Assaulting President, Governor, etc., with intent to compel or restrain exercise of any lawful power 152.Act endangering sovereignty, unity and integrity of India 153.Waging war against Government of any foreign State at peace with Government of India 154.Committing depredation on territories of foreign State at peace with Government of India 155.Receiving property taken by war or depredation mentioned in sections 153 and 154 156.Public servant voluntarily allowing prisoner of State or war to escape 157.Public servant negligently suffering such prisoner to escape 158.Aiding escape of, rescuing or harbouring such prisoner

VIII

159.Abetting mutiny, or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty 160.Abetment of mutiny, if mutiny is committed in consequence thereof 161.Abetment of assault by soldier, sailor or airman on his superior officer, when in execution of his office 162.Abetment of such assault, if assault committed 163.Abetment of desertion of soldier, sailor or airman 164.Harbouring deserter 165.Deserter concealed on board merchant vessel through negligence of master 166.Abetment of act of insubordination by soldier, sailor or airman 167.Persons subject to certain Acts 168.Wearing garb or carrying token used by soldier, sailor or airman

IX — OF OFFENCES RELATING TO ELECTIONS

169.Candidate, electoral right defined 170.Bribery 171.Undue influence at elections 172.Personation at elections 173.Punishment for bribery 174.Punishment for undue influence or personation at an election 175.False statement in connection with an election 176.Illegal payments in connection with an election 177.Failure to keep election accounts

X — OF OFFENCES RELATING TO COIN, CURRENCY-NOTES, BANK-NOTES, AND GOVERNMENT STAMPS

178.Counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes 179.Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank- notes 180.Possession of forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank- notes 181.Making or possessing instruments or materials for forging or counterfeiting coin,182.Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes 183.Effacing writing from substance bearing Government stamp, or removing from document a stamp used for it, with intent to cause loss to Government 184.Using Government stamp known to have been before used 185.Erasure of mark denoting that stamp has been used 186.Prohibition of fictitious stamps 187.Person employed in mint causing coin to be of different weight or composition from that fixed by law 188.Unlawfully taking coining instrument from mint

XI — OF OFFENCES AGAINST THE PUBLIC TRANQUILLITY

189.Unlawful assembly 190.Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object 191.Rioting 192.Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot-if rioting be committed; if not committed 193.Liability of owner, occupier, etc., of land on which an unlawful assembly or riot takes place 194.Affray 195.Assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot, etc 196.Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony 197.Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration

XII — OF OFFENCES BY OR RELATING TO PUBLIC SERVANTS

198.Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person 199.Public servant disobeying direction under law 200.Punishment for non-treatment of victim 201.Public servant framing an incorrect document with intent to cause injury 202.Public servant unlawfully engaging in trade 203.Public servant unlawfully buying or bidding for property 204.Personating a public servant 205.Wearing garb or carrying token used by public servant with fraudulent intent

XIII — OF CONTEMPTS OF THE LAWFUL AUTHORITY OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

206.Absconding to avoid service of summons or other proceeding 207.Preventing service of summons or other proceeding, or preventing publication thereof 208.Non-attendance in obedience to an order from public servant 209.Non-appearance in response to a proclamation under section 84 of Bharatiya Nagarik 210.Omission to produce document or electronic record to public servant by person legally bound to produce it 211.Omission to give notice or information to public servant by person legally bound to give it 212.Furnishing false information 213.Refusing oath or affirmation when duly required by public servant to make it 214.Refusing to answer public servant authorised to question 215.Refusing to sign statement 216.False statement on oath or affirmation to public servant or person authorised to administer an oath or affirmation 217.False information, with intent to cause public servant to use his lawful power to injury of another person 218.Resistance to taking of property by lawful authority of a public servant 219.Obstructing sale of property offered for sale by authority of public servant 220.Illegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public servant 221.Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions 222.Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance 223.Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant 224.Threat of injury to public servant 225.Threat of injury to induce person to refrain from applying for protection to public servant 226.Attempt to commit suicide to compel or restrain exercise of lawful power

XIV — OF FALSE EVIDENCE AND OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC JUSTICE

227.Giving false evidence 228.Fabricating false evidence 229.Punishment for false evidence 230.Giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of capital offence 231.Giving or fabricating false evidence with intent to procure conviction of offence punishable with imprisonment for life or imprisonment 232.Threatening any person to give false evidence 233.Using evidence known to be false 234.Issuing or signing false certificate 235.Using as true a certificate known to be false 236.False statement made in declaration which is by law receivable as evidence 237.Using as true such declaration knowing it to be false 238.Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender 239.Intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform 240.Giving false information respecting an offence committed 241.Destruction of document or electronic record to prevent its production as evidence 242.False personation for purpose of act or proceeding in suit or prosecution 243.Fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent its seizure as forfeited or in execution 244.Fraudulent claim to property to prevent its seizure as forfeited or in execution 245.Fraudulently suffering decree for sum not due 246.Dishonestly making false claim in Court 247.Fraudulently obtaining decree for sum not due 248.False charge of offence made with intent to injure 249.Harbouring offender 250.Taking gift, etc., to screen an offender from punishment 251.Offering gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offender 252.Taking gift to help to recover stolen property, etc 253.Harbouring offender who has escaped from custody or whose apprehension has been ordered 254.Penalty for harbouring robbers or dacoits 255.—Public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture 256.Public servant framing incorrect record or writing with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture 257.Public servant in judicial proceeding corruptly making report, etc., contrary to law 258.Commitment for trial or confinement by person having authority who knows that he is acting contrary to law 259.Intentional omission to apprehend on part of public servant bound to apprehend 260.Intentional omission to apprehend on part of public servant bound to apprehend person under sentence or lawfully committed 261.Escape from confinement or custody negligently suffered by public servant 262.Resistance or obstruction by a person to his lawful apprehension 263.Resistance or obstruction to lawful apprehension of another person 264.Omission to apprehend, or sufferance of escape, on part of public servant, in cases not otherwise provided for 265.Resistance or obstruction to lawful apprehension or escape or rescue in cases not otherwise provided for 266.Violation of condition of remission of punishment 267.Intentional insult or interruption to public servant sitting in judicial proceeding 268.Personation of assessor 269.Failure by person released on bail bond or bond to appear in Court

XV — OF OFFENCES AFFECTING THE PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY, CONVENIENCE, DECENCY AND MORALS

270.Public nuisance 271.Negligent act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life 272.Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life 273.Disobedience to quarantine rule 274.Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale 275.Sale of noxious food or drink 276.Adulteration of drugs 277.Sale of adulterated drugs 278.Sale of drug as a different drug or preparation 279.Fouling water of public spring or reservoir 280.Making atmosphere noxious to health 281.Rash driving or riding on a public way 282.Rash navigation of vessel 283.Exhibition of false light, mark or buoy 284.Conveying person by water for hire in unsafe or overloaded vessel 285.Danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation 286.Negligent conduct with respect to poisonous substance 287.Negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter 288.Negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance 289.Negligent conduct with respect to machinery 290.Negligent conduct with respect to pulling down, repairing or constructing buildings, etc 291.Negligent conduct with respect to animal 292.Punishment for public nuisance in cases not otherwise provided for 293.Continuance of nuisance after injunction to discontinue 294.Sale, etc., of obscene books, etc 295.Sale, etc., of obscene objects to child 296.Obscene acts and songs 297.Keeping lottery office

XVI

298.Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult religion of any class 299.Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class by insulting its religion or religious beliefs 300.Disturbing religious assembly 301.Trespassing on burial places, etc 302.Uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person

XVII

303.Theft 304.Snatching 305.Theft in a dwelling house, or means of transportation or place of worship, etc 306.Theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master 307.Theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to committing of theft 308.Extortion 309.Robbery 310.Dacoity 311.Robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt 312.Attempt to commit robbery or dacoity when armed with deadly weapon 313.Punishment for belonging to gang of robbers, etc 314.Dishonest misappropriation of property 315.Dishonest misappropriation of property possessed by deceased person at the time of his death 316.Criminal breach of trust 317.Stolen property 318.Cheating 319.Cheating by personation 320.Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditors 321.Dishonestly or fraudulently preventing debt being available for creditors 322.Dishonest or fraudulent execution of deed of transfer containing false statement of consideration 323.Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property 324.Mischief 325.Mischief by killing or maiming animal 326.Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc 327.Mischief with intent to destroy or make unsafe a rail, aircraft, decked vessel or one of twenty tons burden 328.Punishment for intentionally running vessel aground or ashore with intent to commit theft, etc 329.Criminal trespass and house-trespass 330.House-trespass and house-breaking 331.Punishment for house-trespass or house-breaking 332.House-trespass in order to commit offence 333.House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint 334.Dishonestly breaking open receptacle containing property

XVIII

335.Making a false document 336.Forgery 337.Forgery of record of Court or of public register, etc 338.Forgery of valuable security, will, etc 339.Having possession of document described in section 337 or section 338, knowing it to be forged and intending to use it as genuine 340.Forged document or electronic record and using it as genuine 341.Making or possessing counterfeit seal, etc., with intent to commit forgery punishable under section 338 342.Counterfeiting device or mark used for authenticating documents described in section 338, or possessing counterfeit marked material 343.Fraudulent cancellation, destruction, etc., of will, authority to adopt, or valuable security 344.Falsification of accounts 345.Property mark 346.Tampering with property mark with intent to cause injury 347.Counterfeiting a property mark 348.Making or possession of any instrument for counterfeiting a property mark 349.Selling goods marked with a counterfeit property mark 350.Making a false mark upon any receptacle containing goods

XIX

351.Criminal intimidation 352.Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace 353.Statements conducing to public mischief 354.Act caused by inducing person to believe that he will be rendered an object of Divine displeasure 355.Misconduct in public by a drunken person 356.Defamation 357.Breach of contract to attend on and supply wants of helpless person

XX — REPEAL AND SAVINGS

358.Repeal and savings

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