BNS Section 274: Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale (formerly IPC 272)

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · in force from 1 July 2024

BNS 274: Adulteration of food or drink intended for sale

From 1 July 2024

Whoever adulterates any article of food or drink, so as to make such article noxious as food or drink, intending to sell such article as food or drink, or knowing it to be likely that the same will be sold as food or drink, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both.

What it replaced in the IPC

BNS 274 ← IPC 272 · Adulteration of food or drink intended for saleChanged

BPR&D's comparison records a change. Read what changed before relying on the old wording.

What changed, per BPR&D: Upper limit of fine is increased from one thousand to five thousand rupees.

Printed in both official correspondence tables (BPR&D and NCRB).

Whoever adulterates any article of food or drink, so as to make such article noxious as food or drink, intending to sell such article as food or drink, or knowing it to be likely that the same will be sold as food or drink, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.

IPC 272 on its own page →

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 272

They remain the law on IPC 272. Where the provision changed in the move, read what changed before relying on one for an offence after 1 July 2024.

Sources

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.