BNS §320

Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditors

Substantively sameConfidence: mediumStatus: editor verifiedconsolidation context(precautionary)
View government sourcemha.gov.in(opens the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 PDF on mha.gov.in in a new tab)
Last updated 2026-05-01 · Input coverage: full

Compiled by AI-assisted tools. Text verified against official sources where indicated. Field-level labels (AI-indicated / AI-inferred / Text-verified) apply per edge metadata. Verify current bail/cognizable status against official sources before relying on procedural claims. Last updated: 2026-04-28.

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Comparison

Old law
IPC §421
Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditor

421. Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditors.—Whoever dishonestly or fraudulently removes, conceals or delivers to any person, or transfers or causes to be transferred to any person, without adequate consideration, any property, intending thereby to prevent, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby prevent, the distribution of that property according to law among his creditors or the creditors of any other person, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

New law
BNS §320
Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditors

Whoever dishonestly or fraudulently removes, conceals or delivers to any person, or transfers or causes to be transferred to any person, without adequate consideration, any property, intending thereby to prevent, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby prevent, the distribution of that property according to law among his creditors or the creditors of any other person, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

What changedAI-inferred

IPC 421 modified by BNS 320 with mandatory minimum 6-month imprisonment.

Old position

IPC 421 is concerned with Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditor. Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditors

New position

BNS 320 modifies the framework. Topic: Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditors. Whoever dishonestly or fraudulently removes, conceals or delivers to any person, or transfers or causes to be transferred to any person, without adequate consideration, any property, intending thereby to prevent, or knowing it to be likely

BNS 320 modifies IPC 421. IPC 421 modified by BNS 320 with mandatory minimum 6-month imprisonment. BNS 320 text: Whoever dishonestly or fraudulently removes, conceals or delivers to any person, or transfers or causes to be transferred to any person, without adequate consideration, any property,...

Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)

BNS-320 reproduces IPC-421's framework on fraudulent removal of property to prevent distribution among creditors character-identically with drafting tidy-up. Punishment levels preserved.

Transitional note (repeal & savings)

For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, IPC 421 continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNS 320 applies. The transition is governed by the repeal-and-savings clause in the new code (BNS 358 / BNSS 531 / BSA 170 as the case may be); pending proceedings under the old code carry forward unaffected.

Frequently asked

BNS 320 (Dishonest or fraudulent removal or concealment of property to prevent distribution among creditors). The relationship is classified as modified — see the change-note above for the textual delta.

Government source

The statutory text above is compiled from the Act as published by the Government of India. The links open the full Act; use the PDF's search to find the section number. The linked government pages offer no link to a single section.

Newlaws.in is an independent site, not a government body. The mappings and notes on this page are its own AI-assisted comparison and are not published or endorsed by any government body.

Sources

Cite this page

Newlaws.in, IPC §421 → BNS §320 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-10-29, https://newlaws.in/bns/320.

Compiled using AI-assisted tools · Source-linked · Last updated 2026-05-01

Not legal advice. Verify against the bare act and consult a qualified advocate for any specific matter.