CaseMinister
CaseMinister › Sections › IPC › Section 373

IPC Section 373 in BNS: Section 99

Buying minor for purposes of prostitution, etc

Section 373 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Buying minor for purposes of prostitution, etc) corresponds to Section 99 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNSS First Schedule, BNS 99 is cognizable, non-bailable, triable by Court of Session; punishment: Imprisonment for not less than 7 years but which may extend to 14 years and fine.

Bail, cognizability and punishment

SectionOffencePunishmentCognizableBailableTriable by
99Buying child for purposes of prostitution, etc.Imprisonment for not less than 7 years but which may extend to 14 years and fine.CognizableNon-bailableCourt 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 99

99. Whoever buys, hires or otherwise obtains possession of any child with intent that such child shall at any age be employed or used for the purpose of prostitution or illicit intercourse with any person or for any unlawful and immoral purpose, or knowing it to be likely that such child will at any age be employed or used for any such purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than seven years but which may extend to fourteen years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation 1.—Any prostitute or any person keeping or managing a brothel, who buys, hires or otherwise obtains possession of a female under the age of eighteen years shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed to have obtained possession of such female with the intent that she shall be used for the purpose of prostitution.

Explanation 2.—‘‘Illicit intercourse” has the same meaning as in section 98.

OF OFFENCES AFFECTING THE HUMAN BODY Of offences affecting life

Full BNS Section 99 and every IPC section it replaced →

Ask CaseMinister about IPC 373 / BNS 99

Get the judgments that apply this section, with the paragraph relied on in each and what later Benches said about it. Two answers free on WhatsApp, no signup.

← IPC 372IPC 374 →