BNS Section 331: Punishment for house-trespass or house-breaking
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter 17: Of Offences Against Property
Also available in: हिंदी
331.
(1) Whoever commits lurking house-trespass or house-breaking, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(2) Whoever commits lurking house-trespass or house-breaking after sunset and before sunrise, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(3) Whoever commits lurking house-trespass or house-breaking, in order to the committing of any offence punishable with imprisonment, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine; and if the offence intended to be committed is theft, the term of the imprisonment may be extended to ten years.
(4) Whoever commits lurking house-trespass or house-breaking after sunset and before sunrise, in order to the committing of any offence punishable with imprisonment, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, and shall also be liable to fine; and, if the offence intended to be committed is theft, the term of the imprisonment may be extended to fourteen years.
(5) Whoever commits lurking house-trespass, or house-breaking, having made preparation for causing hurt to any person, or for assaulting any person, or for wrongfully restraining any person, or for putting any person in fear of hurt or of assault or of wrongful restraint, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description or a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(6) Whoever commits lurking house-trespass or house-breaking after sunset and before sunrise, having made preparation for causing hurt to any person or for assaulting any person, or for wrongfully restraining any person, or for putting any person in fear of hurt, or of assault, or of wrongful restraint, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to fourteen years, and shall also be liable to fine
(7) Whoever, whilst committing lurking house-trespass or house-breaking, causes grievous hurt to any person or attempts to cause death or grievous hurt to any person, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(8) If, at the time of the committing of lurking house-trespass or house-breaking after sunset and before sunrise, any person guilty of such offence shall voluntarily cause or attempt to cause death or grievous hurt to any person, every person jointly concerned in committing such lurking house-trespass or house-breaking after sunset and before sunrise, 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.
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
- 317. Stolen property
- 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
- 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