176. Whoever without the general or special authority in writing of a candidate incurs or authorises expenses on account of the holding of any public meeting, or upon any advertisement, circular or publication, or in any other way whatsoever for the purpose of promoting or procuring the election of such candidate, shall be punished with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees: Provided that if any person having incurred any such expenses not exceeding the amount of ten rupees without authority obtains within ten days from the date on which such expenses were incurred the approval in writing of the candidate, he shall be deemed to have incurred such expenses with the authority of the candidate.
IPC Section 171H in BNS: Section 176
Illegal payments in connection with an election
Section 171H of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Illegal payments in connection with an election) corresponds to Section 176 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNSS First Schedule, BNS 176 is non-cognizable, bailable, triable by Magistrate of the first class; punishment: Fine of 10,000 rupees.
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Bail, cognizability and punishment
| Section | Offence | Punishment | Cognizable | Bailable | Triable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 176 | Illegal payments in connection with elections. | Fine of 10,000 rupees. | Non-cognizable | Bailable | Magistrate of the first class |
Source: BNSS, 2023, First Schedule, Part I.
The BNS applies to offences committed on or after 1 July 2024. Offences committed earlier are charged and tried under the IPC.
Text of BNS Section 176
Full BNS Section 176 and every IPC section it replaced →
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