● Retained in BNS
Assaulting or using criminal force against someone specifically to dishonour them -- without grave and sudden provocation -- carries up to 2 years' imprisonment, or fine, or both, under BNS Section 133, unchanged from IPC 355. It is one of the few offences in this cluster that is compoundable without needing the court's permission.
Section 355 IPC punished assaulting or using criminal force against a person with intent to dishonour them, other than on grave and sudden provocation given by that person, with imprisonment of either description up to 2 years, or fine, or both. It targets assault or force used specifically to humiliate someone, distinct from outraging a woman's modesty (Section 354) or generic assault (Section 352).
BNS Section 133 reproduces the offence verbatim, word for word, with no substantive change of any kind, including the identical 2-year maximum sentence.
Nothing changed. A pure renumbering (355 to 133) with textually and punishment-wise identical wording.
Imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 2 years, or fine, or both..
IPC 355 is bailable..
This is a non-cognizable. offence.
Compoundable without the permission of the court, by the person assaulted or to whom criminal force is used..
Matters under IPC 355 are tried before the Any Magistrate..
Common defences include grave and sudden provocation given by the complainant (which removes the offence from this section, though it may fall under a lesser provocation-based provision instead), or absence of any intent to dishonour.
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