81. Every man who by deceit causes any woman who is not lawfully married to him to believe that she is lawfully married to him and to cohabit or have sexual intercourse with him in that belief, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
IPC Section 493 in BNS: Section 81
Cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage
Section 493 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Cohabitation caused by a man deceitfully inducing a belief of lawful marriage) corresponds to Section 81 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNSS First Schedule, BNS 81 is non-cognizable, non-bailable, triable by Magistrate of the first class; punishment: Imprisonment for 10 years and fine.
Bail, cognizability and punishment
| Section | Offence | Punishment | Cognizable | Bailable | Triable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81 | A man by deceit causing a woman not lawfully married to him to believe, that she is lawfully married to him and to cohabit with him in that belief. | Imprisonment for 10 years and fine. | Non-cognizable | Non-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 81
Full BNS Section 81 and every IPC section it replaced →
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