BNS §353
Statements conducing to public mischief
Jump to section
Comparison
1[505. Statements conducing to public mischief.—2[(1)] Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report,— (a) with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, any officer, soldier, 3[sailor or airman] in the Army, 4[Navy or Air Force] 5[of India] to mutiny or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty as such; or (b) with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquility; or (c) with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to 6[three years], or with fine, or with both. 7[(2) Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes.—Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement or report containing rumour or alarming news with intent to create or promote, or which is likely to create or promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, feelings of enmity, hatred or ill- will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
(3) Offence under sub-section
(2) committed in place of worship, etc.—Whoever commits an offence specified in sub-section
(2) in any place of worship or in any assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine.] Exception.—It does not amount to an offence, within the meaning of this section, when the person making, publishing or circulating any such statement, rumour or report, has reasonable grounds for believing that such statement, rumour or report is true and makes, publishes or circulates it 2[in good faith and] without any such intent as aforesaid.]
(1) Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, false information, rumour, or report, including through electronic means— (a) with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, any officer, soldier, sailor or airman in the Army, Navy or Air Force of India to mutiny or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty as such; or (b) with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or against the public tranquillity; or (c) with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. (2) Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement or report containing false information, rumour or alarming news, including through electronic means, with intent to create or promote, or which is likely to create or promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, feelings of enmity, hatred or ill will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. (3) Whoever commits an offence specified in sub-section (2) in any place of worship or in any assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies, shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine.
What changedAI-inferred
IPC 505 modified by BNS 353 with electronic means added at every relevant occurrence; sub-section (3) place-of-worship aggravator preserved.
Old position
IPC 505 is concerned with Statements conducing to public mischief. Statements creating or promoting enmity, hatred or ill-will between classes. Offence under sub-section (2) committed in place of worship, etc. 1[505
New position
BNS 353 modifies the framework. Topic: Statements conducing to public mischief. Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, false information, rumour, or report, including through electronic means
BNS 353 modifies IPC 505. IPC 505 modified by BNS 353 with electronic means added at every relevant occurrence; sub-section (3) place-of-worship aggravator preserved. BNS 353 text: Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, false information, rumour, or report, including through...
Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)
BNS 353 carries forward IPC 505's framework for statements conducing to public mischief and widens the conduct element. Sub-section (1) expressly includes false information alongside statement, rumour or report, and expressly covers propagation through electronic means alongside the traditional making/publishing/circulating modes. The (a) intent-to-cause-mutiny etc. trigger and downstream sub-sections are partly visible.
Transitional note (repeal & savings)
For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, IPC 505 continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNS 353 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 353 (Statements conducing to public mischief). The relationship is classified as modified — see the change-note above for the textual delta.
Sources
- India Code — Indian Penal Code, 1860
- Gazette of India — Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Cite this page
Newlaws.in, IPC §505 → BNS §353 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-06-12, https://newlaws.in/bns/353.
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.