IPC §366B → BNS §141
Importation of girl from foreign country
Comparison
366B. Importation of girl from foreign country.—Whoever imports into 3[India] from any country outside India 4[or from the State of Jammu and Kashmir] any girl under the age of twenty-one years with intent that she may be, or knowing it to be likely that she will be, forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person, 5*** shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to ten years and shall shall also be liable to fine.]
Whoever imports into India from any country outside India any girl under the age of twenty-one years or any boy under the age of eighteen years with intent that girl or boy may be, or knowing it to be likely that girl or boy will be, forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to ten years and shall also be liable to fine.
What changedAI-inferred
IPC 366B preserved as BNS 141 with boys under 18 added as protected class.
Old position
IPC 366B is the anti-trafficking child-protection statute on importation of a girl from a foreign country. The provision criminalises importing into India any girl under twenty-one years from any country outside India (or from the State of Jammu and Kashmir, in the pre-2019 phrasing) with intent that she be, or knowing it likely she will be, forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person. Punishment is imprisonment up to ten years and fine.
New position
BNS 141 (Importation of girl or boy from foreign country) carries the spine forward with two changes: protected class expanded to include boys under eighteen alongside girls under twenty-one (asymmetric ages preserved), and the J&K phrase is removed as a 2019-J&K-Reorganisation-Act drafting artifact. Punishment ladder is preserved.
Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)
What is preserved: Operative spine carries forward — imports into India from any country outside India [protected minor] with intent that [protected minor] may be, or knowing it to be likely that [protected minor] will be, forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person. Punishment ladder preserved (up to 10 years + fine).
What changed: Protected class expanded from any girl under the age of twenty-one years (IPC: female-only) to any girl under the age of twenty-one years or any boy under the age of eighteen years (BNS: gender-neutralised with asymmetric age limits — girls protected up to 21, boys protected up to 18).
What is missing in the new section: IPC phrase or from the State of Jammu and Kashmir is removed. This is a drafting tidy-up consequent on the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
Transitional note (repeal & savings)
For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, IPC 366B continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNS 141 applies. The transition is governed by the repeal-and-savings clause in the new code (BNS 358); pending proceedings under the old code carry forward in their existing frame.
Frequently asked
BNS 141 (Importation of girl or boy from foreign country). The relationship is classified as modified — protected class expanded to include boys under eighteen alongside girls under twenty-one.
Cite this page
Newlaws.in, IPC §366B → BNS §141 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-06-12, https://newlaws.in/ipc/366B.
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.