BNS Section 317: Stolen property
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter 17: Of Offences Against Property
Also available in: हिंदी
317. (1) Property, the possession whereof has been transferred by theft or extortion or robbery or cheating, and property which has been criminally misappropriated or in respect of which criminal breach of trust has been committed, is designated as stolen property, whether the transfer has been made, or the misappropriation or breach of trust has been committed, within or without India, but, if such property subsequently comes into the possession of a person legally entitled to the possession thereof, it then ceases to be stolen property.
(2) Whoever dishonestly receives or retains any stolen property, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be stolen property, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
(3) Whoever dishonestly receives or retains any stolen property, the possession whereof he knows or has reason to believe to have been transferred by the commission of dacoity, or dishonestly receives from a person, whom he knows or has reason to believe to belong or to have belonged to a gang of dacoits, property which he knows or has reason to believe to have been stolen, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(4) Whoever habitually receives or deals in property which he knows or has reason to believe to be stolen property, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(5) Whoever voluntarily assists in concealing or disposing of or making away with property which he knows or has reason to believe to be stolen property, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Bare act text for reference, current to 1 July 2024. It is not legal advice; check the official gazette for authoritative text.
Other sections in this chapter
- 303. Theft
- 304. Snatching
- 305. Theft in a dwelling house, or means of transportation or place of worship, etc
- 306. Theft by clerk or servant of property in possession of master
- 307. Theft after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to committing theft
- 308. Extortion
- 309. Robbery
- 310. Dacoity
- 311. Robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt
- 312. Attempt to commit robbery or dacoity when armed with a deadly weapon
- 313. Punishment for belonging to a gang of robbers, etc
- 314. Dishonest misappropriation of property
- 315. Dishonest misappropriation of property possessed by a deceased person at the time of his death
- 316. Criminal breach of trust
- 318. Cheating
- 319. Cheating by personation
- 320. Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditors
- 321. Dishonestly or fraudulently preventing debt being available for creditors
- 322. Dishonest or fraudulent execution of a deed of transfer containing false statement of consideration
- 323. Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property
- 324. Mischief
- 325. Mischief by killing or maiming an animal
- 326. Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc
- 327. Mischief with intent to destroy or make unsafe a rail, aircraft, decked vessel or one of twenty tons burden
- 328. Punishment for intentionally running a vessel aground or ashore with intent to commit theft, etc
- 329. Criminal trespass and house-trespass
- 330. House-trespass and house-breaking
- 331. Punishment for house-trespass or house-breaking
- 332. House-trespass in order to commit an offence
- 333. House-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrongful restraint
- 334. Dishonestly breaking open a receptacle containing property