298. Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or defilement as an insult to their religion, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
IPC Section 295 in BNS: Section 298
Injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class
Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class) corresponds to Section 298 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNSS First Schedule, BNS 298 is cognizable, non-bailable, triable by Any Magistrate; punishment: Imprisonment for 2 years, or fine, or both.
Bail, cognizability and punishment
| Section | Offence | Punishment | Cognizable | Bailable | Triable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 298 | Defiling, etc., place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class. | Imprisonment for 2 years, or fine, or both. | Cognizable | Non-bailable | Any Magistrate |
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 298
Full BNS Section 298 and every IPC section it replaced →
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