● Removed from BNS
Sedition under IPC Section 124A punished bringing or attempting to bring hatred, contempt or disaffection towards the Government, with imprisonment for life or up to 3 years, and fine. The Supreme Court suspended its operation in S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India (2022), directing that no fresh cases be registered while it examined the provision constitutionality. The BNS repeals sedition by name; BNS Section 152 instead punishes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India, including exciting secession, armed rebellion, subversive activities or encouraging separatist feelings, with imprisonment for life or up to 7 years, and fine.
Section 124A IPC punished sedition — bringing or attempting to bring hatred, contempt or disaffection towards the Government — with imprisonment for life plus fine, or up to 3 years plus fine. Its operation had been suspended by the Supreme Court in S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India (2022).
The BNS omits sedition as such. BNS Section 152 instead punishes acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India — including exciting secession, armed rebellion or subversive activities, or encouraging separatist feelings — with imprisonment for life or up to 7 years, and fine.
Sedition by name is repealed; replaced by the differently-framed BNS 152, which shifts focus from disaffection towards government to acts endangering the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
Imprisonment for life, and fine, or imprisonment up to 3 years, and fine, or fine alone..
IPC 124A is non-bailable..
This is a cognizable. offence.
Non-compoundable..
Matters under IPC 124A are tried before the Court of Session..
Common defences include arguing that the words or acts did not incite public disorder or violence and so fall outside the section as read down in Kedar Nath Singh v. State of Bihar (1962), and that the provision's operation was suspended by the Supreme Court in S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India (2022), meaning no fresh case should have been registered while that order stood.
Summaries are for general information and are not legal advice. For the authoritative bare-act text, see the official Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 and Indian Penal Code, 1860 (full amended text, as it stood before repeal) on India Code, or the Ministry of Home Affairs' new criminal laws page. ← All comparisons