● Modified in BNS
A rash or negligent act that merely endangers life or personal safety, without actually causing hurt, carries up to 3 months' imprisonment or a fine up to Rs 2,500 (up from Rs 250) under BNS Section 125's base clause -- the milder, no-injury sibling of the hurt and grievous-hurt clauses (125(a)/125(b)) that were formerly IPC 337 and 338.
Section 336 IPC punished doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others, with imprisonment of either description up to 3 months, or fine up to Rs 250, or both. It is a pure endangerment offence: no actual hurt need result -- if hurt or grievous hurt does result from the same rash or negligent act, the more serious Sections 337 and 338 apply instead.
BNS Section 125's base (un-lettered) clause reproduces the offence verbatim, with the fine ceiling raised tenfold from Rs 250 to Rs 2,500 -- the same tenfold increase already seen in this section's hurt and grievous-hurt clauses, 125(a) and 125(b) (old IPC 337/338). The imprisonment term is unchanged.
Only the fine ceiling changed, rising tenfold from Rs 250 to Rs 2,500, matching the same pattern already documented for this section's hurt-caused and grievous-hurt-caused clauses. The offence definition and imprisonment term are unchanged.
Imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 3 months, or fine which may extend to Rs 2,500 (up from Rs 250 under the IPC), or both..
IPC 336 is bailable..
This is a cognizable. offence.
Non-compoundable..
Matters under IPC 336 are tried before the Any Magistrate..
Common defences include that the act was not in fact rash or negligent by the objective standard the offence requires, or that it did not create any real danger to human life or personal safety.
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