BNS Section 121: Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty (formerly IPC 332 and IPC 333)
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · in force from 1 July 2024
BNS 121: Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty
From 1 July 2024
(1) Whoever voluntarily causes hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or deter that person or any other public servant from discharging his duty as such public servant or in consequence of anything done or attempted to be done by that person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both.
(2) Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or deter that person or any other public servant from discharging his duty as such public servant or in consequence of anything done or attempted to be done by that person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
What it replaced in the IPC
BNS 121(1) ← IPC 332 · Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his dutyChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: IPC section is included as a subsection in BNS. Imprisonment is increased from three to five years.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever voluntarily causes hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or deter that person or any other public servant from discharging his duty as such public servant or in consequence of anything done or attempted to be done by that person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
BNS 121(2) ← IPC 333 · Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his dutyChanged
BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.
What changed, per BPR&D: IPC section is included as a sub-section in BNS sans heading. Mandatory minimum imprisonment of one year is added.
Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).
Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or deter that person or any other public servant from discharging his duty as such public servant, or in consequence of anything done or attempted to be done by that person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Which one applies
An offence is governed by the law in force when it was committed. An offence committed before 1 July 2024 is charged and punished under the IPC; one committed on or after that date, under the BNS. Section 358 of the BNS, which repeals the IPC, preserves every liability and proceeding already incurred under it.
Read BNS section 358 →Judgments decided under IPC 332
They remain the law on IPC 332. Where the provision changed in the move, read what changed before relying on one for an offence after 1 July 2024.
Sources
- Correspondence Table and Comparison Summary of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 to the Indian Penal Code, 1860, Bureau of Police Research & Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, page 14.
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023: bare Act with Corresponding Section Table, National Crime Records Bureau (Sankalan), page 37.
- The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860), as amended, India Code, Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice.
BPR&D is the Bureau of Police Research & Development (Ministry of Home Affairs); NCRB the National Crime Records Bureau. Their correspondence tables are training aids, not law. This page is general information, not legal advice on any case; the bare Acts as published by the Government of India are the authority.