BNS Section 120: Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to extort confession, or to compel restoration of property
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter 6: Of Offences Affecting the Human Body - Of offences affecting life - Of hurt - Of wrongful restraint and wrongful confinement - Of criminal force and assault - Of kidnapping, abduction, slavery and forced labour
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¶120. (1) Whoever voluntarily causes hurt for the purpose of extorting from the sufferer or from any person interested in the sufferer, any confession or any information which may lead to the detection of an offence or misconduct, or for the purpose of constraining the sufferer or any person interested in the sufferer to restore or to cause the restoration of any property or valuable security or to satisfy any claim or demand, or to give information which may lead to the restoration of any property or valuable security, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
¶(a) A, a police-officer, tortures Z in order to induce Z to confess that he committed a crime. A is guilty of an offence under this section.
¶(b) A, a police-officer, tortures B to induce him to point out where certain stolen property is deposited. A is guilty of an offence under this section.
¶(c) A, a revenue officer, tortures Z in order to compel him to pay certain arrears of revenue due from Z. A is guilty of an offence under this section.
¶(2) Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt for any purpose referred to in sub-section (1), shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Study: explanations and related material
Replaces IPC 330, IPC 331. IPC → BNS converterSource: BPR&D BNS–IPC corresponding section table (UP Police, 2024-06-28)
Punishment, bail and trial
120(1)Voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession or information, or to compel restoration of property, etc.
- Punishment
- Imprisonment for 7 years and fine.
- Cognizable or not
- Cognizable
- Bailable or not
- Bailable
- Triable by
- Magistrate of the first class
120(2)Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort confession or information, or to compel restoration of property, etc.
- Punishment
- Imprisonment for 10 years and fine.
- Cognizable or not
- Cognizable
- Bailable or not
- Non‑bailable
- Triable by
- Court of Session
Source: BNSS First Schedule, Gazette of India, 25 December 2023, p. 165. The Schedule gives the substance of the section, not its full definition, and a State may have amended the classification for its territory. See it in the full First Schedule
Official reference: Ministry of Home Affairs: Gazette text, 25 December 2023 — source link checked: 2 October 2026.Recorded edition / snapshot date: 2024-07-01.Mobile-app reference import; the recorded snapshot date is not a fresh legal-currency guarantee. The linked government text is an independent authoritative reference, not certification that this website reproduces the same edition. The source link was checked, not every provision or subsequent amendment. Check commencement notifications, savings and jurisdiction-specific variations separately.
This text is for reference, not legal advice. Consult the official source for the authoritative text.
Other sections in this chapter
- 100. Culpable homicide
- 101. Murder
- 102. Culpable homicide by causing death of person other than person whose death was intended
- 103. Punishment for murder
- 104. Punishment for murder by life-convict
- 105. Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder
- 106. Causing death by negligence
- 107. Abetment of suicide of child or person of unsound mind
- 108. Abetment of suicide
- 109. Attempt to murder
- 110. Attempt to commit culpable homicide
- 111. Organised crime
- 112. Petty organised crime
- 113. Terrorist act
- 114. Hurt
- 115. Voluntarily causing hurt
- 116. Grievous hurt
- 117. Voluntarily causing grievous hurt
- 118. Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means
- 119. Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act
- 121. Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty
- 122. Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt on provocation
- 123. Causing hurt by means of poison, etc., with intent to commit an offence
- 124. Voluntarily causing grievous hurt by use of acid, etc
- 125. Act endangering life or personal safety of others
- 126. Wrongful restraint
- 127. Wrongful confinement
- 128. Force
- 129. Criminal force
- 130. Assault
- 131. Punishment for assault or criminal force otherwise than on grave provocation
- 132. Assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty
- 133. Assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person, otherwise than on grave provocation
- 134. Assault or criminal force in attempt to commit theft of property carried by a person
- 135. Assault or criminal force in attempt to wrongfully confine a person
- 136. Assault or criminal force on grave provocation
- 137. Kidnapping
- 138. Abduction
- 139. Kidnapping or maiming a child for purposes of begging
- 140. Kidnapping or abducting in order to murder or for ransom, etc
- 141. Importation of girl or boy from foreign country
- 142. Wrongfully concealing or keeping in confinement, kidnapped or abducted person
- 143. Trafficking of person
- 144. Exploitation of a trafficked person
- 145. Habitual dealing in slaves
- 146. Unlawful compulsory labour