The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
CHAPTER VI: OF OFFENCES AFFECTING THE HUMAN BODY
Of hurt
Section 121: Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty.
Bare Act
(1) Whoever voluntarily causes hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or deter that person or any other public servant from discharging his duty as such public servant or in consequence of anything done or attempted to be done by that person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both.
(2) Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt to any person being a public servant in the discharge of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or deter that person or any other public servant from discharging his duty as such public servant or in consequence of anything done or attempted to be done by that person in the lawful discharge of his duty as such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Simplified Act
(1) If someone intentionally hurts a public servant while they are doing their job, or tries to stop them or any other public servant from doing their job, or because of something the public servant did while doing their job, that person can be punished. The punishment can be up to five years in prison, a fine, or both.
(2) If someone intentionally cause… Read the complete text with KanoonGPT Pro.
Explanation using examples
Example 1:
Ravi, a tax officer, visits a local business to conduct a routine audit. During the audit, he discovers some discrepancies and informs the business owner, Mr. Sharma, that he will need to investigate further. Mr. Sharma, fearing legal consequences, becomes aggressive and physically assaults Ravi, causing minor injuries. In this scenario, Mr. Sharma has voluntarily caused hurt to a public servant (Ravi) in the discharge of his duty. Under Section 121 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Mr. Sharma can be punished with imprisonment for up to five years, or with a fine, or both.
Example 2:
Inspector Meena is on duty at a protest rally, ensuring that the event remains peaceful. During the rally, a group of protesters becomes violent and starts throwing stones at the police officers. One of the stones hits Inspector Meena, causing a severe head injury. The person who threw the stone, identified as Raj, is arrested. In this case, Raj has voluntarily caused grievous hurt to a public servant (Inspector Meena) in the discharge of her duty. Under Section 121 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Raj can be punished with imprisonment for a term not less than one year but which may extend to ten years, and he shall also be liable to a fine.
