160. Abetment of mutiny, if mutiny is committed in consequence thereof.—
Whoever abets the
committing of mutiny by an officer, soldier, sailor or airman, in the Army, Navy or Air Force of the
Government of India, shall, if mutiny be committed in consequence of that abetment, be punished with
death or 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.
161. Abetment of assault by soldier, sailor or airman on his superior officer, when in execution
of his office.—Whoever abets an assault by an officer, soldier, sailor or airman, in the Army, Navy or Air
Force of the Government of India, on any superior officer being in the execution of his office, shall be
punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall
also be liable to fine.
162. Abetment of such assault, if assault committed.—Whoever abets an assault by an officer,
soldier, sailor or airman, in the Army, Navy or Air Force of the Government of India, on any superior
officer being in the execution of his office, shall, if such assault be committed in consequence of that
abetment be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven
years, and shall also be liable to fine.
163. Abetment of desertion of soldier, sailor or airman.—Whoever abets the desertion of any
officer, soldier, sailor or airman, in the Army, Navy or Air Force of the Government of India, shall be
punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine,
or with both.
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164. Harbouring deserter.—Whoever, except as hereinafter excepted, knowing or having reason to
believe that an officer, soldier, sailor or airman, in the Army, Navy or Air Force of the Government of
India, has deserted, harbours such officer, soldier, sailor or airman, shall be punished with imprisonment
of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine or with both.
Exception.—This provision does not extend to the case in which the harbour is given by the spouse of
the deserter.
165. Deserter concealed on board merchant vessel through negligence of master.—The master or
person in charge of a merchant vessel, on board of which any deserter from the Army, Navy or Air Force
of the Government of India is concealed, shall, though ignorant of such concealment, be liable to a
penalty not exceeding three thousand rupees, if he might have known of such concealment but for some
neglect of his duty as such master or person in charge, or but for some want of discipline on board of the
vessel.
166. Abetment of act of insubordination by soldier, sailor or airman.—Whoever abets what he
knows to be an act of insubordination by an officer, soldier, sailor or airman, in the Army, Navy or Air
Force, of the Government of India, shall, if such act of insubordination be committed in consequence of
that abetment, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two
years, or with fine, or with both.
167. Persons subject to certain Acts.—No person subject to the Air Force Act, 1950 (45 of 1950),
the Army Act, 1950 (46 of 1950) and the Navy Act, 1957 (62 of 1957), or shall be subject to punishment
under this Sanhita for any of the offences defined in this Chapter.
168. Wearing garb or carrying token used by soldier, sailor or airman.—Whoever, not being a
soldier, sailor or airman in the Army, Naval or Air service of the Government of India, wears any garb or
carries any token resembling any garb or token used by such a soldier, sailor or airman with the intention
that it may be believed that he is such a soldier, sailor or airman, shall be punished with imprisonment of
either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to two
thousand rupees, or with both.
CHAPTER IX
OF OFFENCES RELATING TO ELECTIONS
169. Candidate, electoral right defined.—For the purposes of this Chapter—
(a) “candidate” means a person who has been nominated as a candidate at any election;
(b) “electoral right” means the right of a person to stand, or not to stand as, or to withdraw from
being, a candidate or to vote or refrain from voting at an election.
170. Bribery.—
(1) Whoever—
(i) gives a gratification to any person with the object of inducing him or any other person to
exercise any electoral right or of rewarding any person for having exercised any such right; or
(ii) accepts either for himself or for any other person any gratification as a reward for exercising
any such right or for inducing or attempting to induce any other person to exercise any such right,
commits the offence of bribery:
Provided that a declaration of public policy or a promise of public action shall not be an offence
under this section.
(2) A person who offers, or agrees to give, or offers or attempts to procure, a gratification shall be
deemed to give a gratification.
(3) A person who obtains or agrees to accept or attempts to obtain a gratification shall be deemed to
accept a gratification, and a person who accepts a gratification as a motive for doing what he does not
intend to do, or as a reward for doing what he has not done, shall be deemed to have accepted the
gratification as a reward.
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171. Undue influence at elections.—
(1) Whoever voluntarily interferes or attempts to interfere with
the free exercise of any electoral right commits the offence of undue influence at an election.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the provisions of sub-section
(1), whoever—
(a) threatens any candidate or voter, or any person in whom a candidate or voter is interested,
with injury of any kind; or
(b) induces or attempts to induce a candidate or voter to believe that he or any person in whom he
is interested will become or will be rendered an object of Divine displeasure or of spiritual censure,
shall be deemed to interfere with the free exercise of the electoral right of such candidate or voter, within
the meaning of sub-section
(1).
(3) A declaration of public policy or a promise of public action or the mere exercise or a legal right
without intent to interfere with an electoral right, shall not be deemed to be interference within the
meaning of this section.
172. Personation at elections.—Whoever at an election applies for a voting paper on votes in the
name of any other person, whether living or dead, or in a fictitious name, or who having voted once at
such election applies at the same election for a voting paper in his own name, and whoever abets,
procures or attempts to procure the voting by any person in any such way, commits the offence of
personation at an election:
Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to a person who has been authorised to vote as proxy
for an elector under any law for the time being in force in so far as he votes as a proxy for such elector.
173. Punishment for bribery.—Whoever commits the offence of bribery shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both:
Provided that bribery by treating shall be punished with fine only.
Explanation.—“Treating” means that form of bribery where the gratification consists in food, drink,
entertainment, or provision.
174. Punishment for undue influence or personation at an election.—Whoever commits the
offence of undue influence or personation at an election shall be punished with imprisonment of either
description for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both.
175. False statement in connection with an election.—Whoever with intent to affect the result of
an election makes or publishes any statement purporting to be a statement of fact which is false and
which he either knows or believes to be false or does not believe to be true, in relation to the personal
character or conduct of any candidate shall be punished with fine.
176. Illegal payments in connection with an election.—Whoever without the general or special
authority in writing of a candidate incurs or authorises expenses on account of the holding of any public
meeting, or upon any advertisement, circular or publication, or in any other way whatsoever for the
purpose of promoting or procuring the election of such candidate, shall be punished with fine which may
extend to ten thousand rupees:
Provided that if any person having incurred any such expenses not exceeding the amount of ten
rupees without authority obtains within ten days from the date on which such expenses were incurred the
approval in writing of the candidate, he shall be deemed to have incurred such expenses with the
authority of the candidate.
177. Failure to keep election accounts.—Whoever being required by any law for the time being in
force or any rule having the force of law to keep accounts of expenses incurred at or in connection with
an election fails to keep such accounts shall be punished with fine which may extend to five thousand
rupees.
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CHAPTER X
OF OFFENCES RELATING TO COIN, CURRENCY-NOTES, BANK-NOTES, AND GOVERNMENT STAMPS
178. Counterfeiting coin, Government stamps, currency-notes or bank-notes.—Whoever
counterfeits, or knowingly performs any part of the process of counterfeiting, any coin, stamp issued by
Government for the purpose of revenue, currency-note or bank-note, 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.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this Chapter,—
(1) the expression “bank-note” means a promissory note or engagement for the payment of
money to bearer on demand issued by any person carrying on the business of banking in any part of
the world, or issued by or under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power, and intended to be
used as equivalent to, or as a substitute for money;
(2) “coin” shall have the same meaning as assigned to it in section 2 of the Coinage Act, 2011
(11 of 2011) and includes metal used for the time being as money and is stamped and issued by or
under the authority of any State or Sovereign Power intended to be so used;
(3) a person commits the offence of “counterfeiting Government stamp” who counterfeits by
causing a genuine stamp of one denomination to appear like a genuine stamp of a different
denomination;
(4) a person commits the offence of counterfeiting coin who intending to practise deception, or
knowing it to be likely that deception will thereby be practised, causes a genuine coin to appear like a
different coin; and
(5) the offence of “counterfeiting coin” includes diminishing the weight or alteration of the
composition, or alteration of the appearance of the coin.
179. Using as genuine, forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-
notes.—Whoever imports or exports, or sells or delivers to, or buys or receives from, any other person, or
otherwise traffics or uses as genuine, any forged or counterfeit coin, stamp, currency-note or bank-note,
knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit, 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.
180. Possession of forged or counterfeit coin, Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-
notes.—Whoever has in his possession any forged or counterfeit coin, stamp, currency-note or bank-note,
knowing or having reason to believe the same to be forged or counterfeit and intending to use the same as
genuine or that it may be used as genuine, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a
term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.
Explanation.—If a person establishes the possession of the forged or counterfeit coin, stamp,
currency-note or bank-note to be from a lawful source, it shall not constitute an offence under this
section.
181. Making or possessing instruments or materials for forging or counterfeiting coin,
Government stamp, currency-notes or bank-notes.—Whoever makes or mends, or performs any part
of the process of making or mending, or buys or sells or disposes of, or has in his possession, any
machinery, die, or instrument or material for the purpose of being used, or knowing or having reason to
believe that it is intended to be used, for forging or counterfeiting any coin, stamp issued by Government
for the purpose of revenue, currency-note or bank-note, 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.
182. Making or using documents resembling currency-notes or bank-notes.—
(1) Whoever
makes, or causes to be made, or uses for any purpose whatsoever, or delivers to any person, any
document purporting to be, or in any way resembling, or so nearly resembling as to be calculated to
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deceive, any currency-note or bank-note shall be punished with fine which may extend to three hundred
rupees.
(2) If any person, whose name appears on a document the making of which is an offence under
sub-section
(1), refuses, without lawful excuse, to disclose to a police officer on being so required the
name and address of the person by whom it was printed or otherwise made, he shall be punished with fine
which may extend to six hundred rupees.
(3) Where the name of any person appears on any document in respect of which any person is
charged with an offence under sub-section
(1) or on any other document used or distributed in connection
with that document it may, until the contrary is proved, be presumed that the person caused the document
to be made.
183. Effacing writing from substance bearing Government stamp, or removing from document
a stamp used for it, with intent to cause loss to Government.—Whoever, fraudulently or with intent to
cause loss to the Government, removes or effaces from any substance, bearing any stamp issued by
Government for the purpose of revenue, any writing or document for which such stamp has been used, or
removes from any writing or document a stamp which has been used for such writing or document, in
order that such stamp may be used for a different writing or document, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
184. Using Government stamp known to have been before used.—Whoever, fraudulently or with
intent to cause loss to the Government, uses for any purpose a stamp issued by Government for the
purpose of revenue, which he knows to have been before used, shall be punished with imprisonment of
either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
185. Erasure of mark denoting that stamp has been used.—Whoever, fraudulently or with intent
to cause loss to Government, erases or removes from a stamp issued by Government for the purpose of
revenue, any mark, put or impressed upon such stamp for the purpose of denoting that the same has been
used, or knowingly has in his possession or sells or disposes of any such stamp from which such mark
has been erased or removed, or sells or disposes of any such stamp which he knows to have been used,
shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or
with fine, or with both.
186. Prohibition of fictitious stamps.—
(1) Whoever—
(a) makes, knowingly utters, deals in or sells any fictitious stamp, or knowingly uses for any
postal purpose any fictitious stamp; or
(b) has in his possession, without lawful excuse, any fictitious stamp; or
(c) makes or, without lawful excuse, has in his possession any die, plate, instrument or materials
for making any fictitious stamp,
shall be punished with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees.
(2) Any such stamp, die, plate, instrument or materials in the possession of any person for making
any fictitious stamp may be seized and, if seized shall be forfeited.
(3) In this section “fictitious stamp” means any stamp falsely purporting to be issued by Government
for the purpose of denoting a rate of postage, or any facsimile or imitation or representation, whether on
paper or otherwise, of any stamp issued by Government for that purpose.
(4) In this section and also in sections 178 to 181 (both inclusive), and sections 183 to 185 (both
inclusive) the word “Government”, when used in connection with, or in reference to any stamp issued for
the purpose of denoting a rate of postage, shall, notwithstanding anything in clause
(12) of section 2, be
deemed to include the person or persons authorised by law to administer executive Government in any
part of India or in any foreign country.
187. Person employed in mint causing coin to be of different weight or composition from that
fixed by law.—Whoever, being employed in any mint lawfully established in India, does any act, or
omits what he is legally bound to do, with the intention of causing any coin issued from that mint to be of
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a different weight or composition from the weight or composition fixed by law, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to
fine.
188. Unlawfully taking coining instrument from mint.—Whoever, without lawful authority, takes
out of any mint, lawfully established in India, any coining tool or instrument, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to
fine.
CHAPTER XI
OF OFFENCES AGAINST THE PUBLIC TRANQUILLITY
189. Unlawful assembly.—
(1) An assembly of five or more persons is designated an “unlawful
assembly”, if the common object of the persons composing that assembly is—
(a) to overawe by criminal force, or show of criminal force, the Central Government or any State
Government or Parliament or the Legislature of any State, or any public servant in the exercise of the
lawful power of such public servant; or
(b) to resist the execution of any law, or of any legal process; or
(c) to commit any mischief or criminal trespass, or other offence; or
(d) by means of criminal force, or show of criminal force, to any person, to take or obtain
possession of any property, or to deprive any person of the enjoyment of a right of way, or of the use
of water or other incorporeal right of which he is in possession or enjoyment, or to enforce any right
or supposed right; or
(e) by means of criminal force, or show of criminal force, to compel any person to do what he is
not legally bound to do, or to omit to do what he is legally entitled to do.
Explanation.—An assembly which was not unlawful when it assembled, may subsequently become
an unlawful assembly.
(2) Whoever, being aware of facts which render any assembly an unlawful assembly, intentionally
joins that assembly, or continues in it, is said to be a member of an unlawful assembly and such member
shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or
with fine, or with both.
(3) Whoever joins or continues in an unlawful assembly, knowing that such unlawful assembly has
been commanded in the manner prescribed by law to disperse, shall be punished with imprisonment of
either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
(4) Whoever, being armed with any deadly weapon, or with anything which, used as a weapon of
offence, is likely to cause death, is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
(5) Whoever knowingly joins or continues in any assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a
disturbance of the public peace, after such assembly has been lawfully commanded to disperse, shall be
punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with
fine, or with both.
Explanation.—If the assembly is an unlawful assembly within the meaning of sub-section
(1), the
offender shall be punishable under sub-section
(3).
(6) Whoever hires or engages, or employs, or promotes, or connives at the hiring, engagement or
employment of any person to join or become a member of any unlawful assembly, shall be punishable as
a member of such unlawful assembly, and for any offence which may be committed by any such person
as a member of such unlawful assembly in pursuance of such hiring, engagement or employment, in the
same manner as if he had been a member of such unlawful assembly, or himself had committed such
offence.
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(7) Whoever harbours, receives or assembles, in any house or premises in his occupation or charge,
or under his control any persons knowing that such persons have been hired, engaged or employed, or are
about to be hired, engaged or employed, to join or become members of an unlawful assembly, shall be
punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with
fine, or with both.
(8) Whoever is engaged, or hired, or offers or attempts to be hired or engaged, to do or assist in doing
any of the acts specified in sub-section
(1), shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for
a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
(9) Whoever, being so engaged or hired as referred to in sub-section
(8), goes armed, or engages or
offers to go armed, with any deadly weapon or with anything which used as a weapon of offence is likely
to cause death, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to
two years, or with fine, or with both.
190. Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of
common object.—If an offence is committed by any member of an unlawful assembly in prosecution of
the common object of that assembly, or such as the members of that assembly knew to be likely to be
committed in prosecution of that object, every person who, at the time of the committing of that offence,
is a member of the same assembly, is guilty of that offence.
191. Rioting.—
(1) Whenever force or violence is used by an unlawful assembly, or by any member
thereof, in prosecution of the common object of such assembly, every member of such assembly is guilty
of the offence of rioting.
(2) Whoever is guilty of rioting, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term
which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
(3) Whoever is guilty of rioting, being armed with a deadly weapon or with anything which, used as a
weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for
a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both.
192. Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot-if rioting be committed; if not
committed.—Whoever malignantly, or wantonly by doing anything which is illegal, gives provocation to
any person intending or knowing it to be likely that such provocation will cause the offence of rioting to
be committed, shall, if the offence of rioting be committed in consequence of such provocation, be
punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine,
or with both; and if the offence of rioting be not committed, with imprisonment of either description for a
term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
193. Liability of owner, occupier, etc., of land on which an unlawful assembly or riot takes
place.—
(1) Whenever any unlawful assembly or riot takes place, the owner or occupier of the land upon
which such unlawful assembly is held, or such riot is committed, and any person having or claiming an
interest in such land, shall be punishable with fine not exceeding one thousand rupees, if he or his agent
or manager, knowing that such offence is being or has been committed, or having reason to believe it is
likely to be committed, do not give the earliest notice thereof in his or their power to the officer in charge
at the nearest police station, and do not, in the case of his or their having reason to believe that it was
about to be committed, use all lawful means in his or their power to prevent it and, in the event of its
taking place, do not use all lawful means in his or their power to disperse or suppress the riot or unlawful
assembly.
(2) Whenever a riot is committed for the benefit or on behalf of any person who is the owner or
occupier of any land respecting which such riot takes place or who claims any interest in such land, or in
the subject of any dispute which gave rise to the riot, or who has accepted or derived any benefit
therefrom, such person shall be punishable with fine, if he or his agent or manager, having reason to
believe that such riot was likely to be committed or that the unlawful assembly by which such riot was
committed was likely to be held, shall not respectively use all lawful means in his or their power to
prevent such assembly or riot from taking place, and for suppressing and dispersing the same.
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(3) Whenever a riot is committed for the benefit or on behalf of any person who is the owner or
occupier of any land respecting which such riot takes place, or who claims any interest in such land, or in
the subject of any dispute which gave rise to the riot, or who has accepted or derived any benefit
therefrom, the agent or manager of such person shall be punishable with fine, if such agent or manager,
having reason to believe that such riot was likely to be committed, or that the unlawful assembly by
which such riot was committed was likely to be held, shall not use all lawful means in his power to
prevent such riot or assembly from taking place and for suppressing and dispersing the same.
194. Affray.—
(1) When two or more persons, by fighting in a public place, disturb the public peace,
they are said to commit an affray.
(2) Whoever commits an affray, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term
which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.
195. Assaulting or obstructing public servant when suppressing riot, etc.—
(1) Whoever assaults
or obstructs any public servant or uses criminal force on any public servant in the discharge of his duty as
such public servant in endeavouring to disperse an unlawful assembly, or to suppress a riot or affray,
shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or
with fine which shall not be less than twenty-five thousand rupees, or with both.
(2) Whoever threatens to assault or attempts to obstruct any public servant or threatens or attempts to
use criminal force to any public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant in
endeavouring to disperse an unlawful assembly, or to suppress a riot or affray, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
196. Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth,
residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.—
(1) Whoever—
(a) by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or through
electronic communication or otherwise, promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion,
race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever,
disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or
regional groups or castes or communities; or
(b) commits any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different
religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, and which disturbs or is likely
to disturb the public tranquillity; or
(c) organises any exercise, movement, drill or other similar activity intending that the participants
in such activity shall use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or knowing it to be likely that
the participants in such activity will use or be trained to use criminal force or violence, or participates
in such activity intending to use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or knowing it to be
likely that the participants in such activity will use or be trained to use criminal force or violence,
against any religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community and such activity for
any reason whatsoever causes or is likely to cause fear or alarm or a feeling of insecurity amongst
members of such religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community,
shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
(2) Whoever commits an offence specified in sub-section