Abetment of desertion of soldier, sailor or airman

Q: When did Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita come into force?

Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, cited as BNS 163, came into force on 01 Jul 2024, having been enacted on 25 Dec 2023. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

In force From 01 Jul 2024 Act 45 of 2023 As on 14 Oct 2026

Act 45 of 2023 Ministry Home Affairs Enacted 25 Dec 2023 In force 01 Jul 2024

Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 deals with 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. The Act came into force on 01 Jul 2024.

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.
Section 163, The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act 45 of 2023).

Replaces a provision of the Indian Penal Code

IPC 135 Abetment of desertion of soldier, sailor or airman Text carried over almost unchanged 100%

Measured by comparing the text of the two provisions, not taken from an official correspondence table — there is no machine-readable one. See both texts side by side before relying on it.

Both regimes are live. The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force. We never redirect one to the other.

How this offence is classified

From the First Schedule to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, which classifies every offence under the Sanhita. Cognizable means a police officer may arrest without warrant; bailable means bail is a matter of right rather than of the court's discretion.

Offence	Punishment	Cognizable	Bailable	Triable by
Abetment of the desertion of an officer, soldier, sailor or airman.	Imprisonment for 2 years, or fine, or both.	Cognizable.	Bailable.	Any Magistrate.

The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Questions about Section 163

What does Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita deal with?

Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita is headed "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.

Is Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita bailable?

Bailable, under the First Schedule to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

Is Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita cognizable?

Cognizable. "Cognizable" means a police officer may arrest without warrant; "non-cognizable" that they may not. An offence under this section is triable by Any Magistrate.

How do I find court cases under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?

In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: BNS 163, section 163 BNS, section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. People searching for it also type bns 163 vs ipc 144 in hindi and bns 163 ka matlab kya hota hai. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.

What should I read with Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and has it changed?

It carries forward IPC 135 (Abetment of desertion of soldier, sailor or airman), so the judgments decided under that provision are the case law on this one.

When did Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita come into force?

Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, cited as BNS 163, came into force on 01 Jul 2024, having been enacted on 25 Dec 2023. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.

Other sections of this Act

Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.