● Retained in BNS
Intentionally insulting someone in a way likely to provoke them to breach the peace or commit an offence is punished under BNS Section 352, which retains the same punishment as IPC Section 504.
Section 504 IPC punished intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace with imprisonment up to 2 years, or fine, or both.
BNS Section 352 retains the offence and punishment: imprisonment up to 2 years, or fine, or both.
Carried over substantially unchanged; renumbered from IPC 504 to BNS 352.
Imprisonment up to 2 years, or fine, or both..
IPC 504 is bailable..
This is a non-cognizable. offence.
Compoundable..
Matters under IPC 504 are tried before the Any Magistrate..
Common defences include that the words were not intended, and not likely, to provoke a breach of the peace, and that the exchange was mutual heated argument rather than a targeted, deliberate insult.
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