Act No. 45 of 2023 — the criminal code of India, in force from 1 July 2024, replacing the Indian Penal Code, 1860. 358 sections across 20 chapters.
Chapter I — Preliminary
Chapter 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
Chapter III — General Exceptions
- 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 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
Chapter IV — Of Abetment, Criminal Conspiracy and Attempt
- 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 if offence not committed
- 56. Abetment of offence punishable with imprisonment if offence be not committed
- 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. Attempt to commit offences
Chapter V — Of Offences Against Woman and Child
- 63. Rape
- 64. Punishment for rape
- 65. Punishment for rape on woman under sixteen years of age
- 66. Punishment for causing death or resulting in persistent vegetative state of victim
- 67. Sexual intercourse by husband upon his wife during separation or by a person in authority
- 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.
Chapter VI — Of Offences Affecting the Human Body
- 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
Chapter VII — Of Offences Against the State
- 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
Chapter VIII — Of Offences Relating to the Army, Navy and Air Force
- 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-notes
- 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
Chapter 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
- 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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 Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
- 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
Chapter 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
Chapter 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
Chapter XVI — Of Offences Relating to Religion
- 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
Chapter XVII — Of Offences Against Property
- 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
Chapter XVIII — Of Offences Relating to Documents and to Property Marks
- 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
Chapter XIX — Of Criminal Intimidation, Insult, Annoyance, Defamation, etc.
- 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
