121. (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.
IPC Section 332 in BNS: Section 121
Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty
Section 332 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) corresponds to Section 121 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNSS First Schedule, BNS 121(1) is cognizable, non-bailable, triable by Magistrate of the first class; punishment: Imprisonment for 5 years, or fine, or both.
Bail, cognizability and punishment
| Section | Offence | Punishment | Cognizable | Bailable | Triable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 121(1) | Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty. | Imprisonment for 5 years, or fine, or both. | Cognizable | Non-bailable | Magistrate of the first class |
| 121(2) | Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty. | Imprisonment not less than 1 year, or imprisonment for 10 years and fine. | Cognizable | Non-bailable | Court of Session |
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 121
Full BNS Section 121 and every IPC section it replaced →
Other IPC sections now in BNS 121
- IPC 333: Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty → BNS 121(2)
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