Bribery
Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 deals with bribery. Whoever— (i) gives a gratification to any person with the object of inducing him or any other person to exercise any electoral right or of rewarding any person for having exercised any such right; The Act came into force on 01 Jul 2024.
(1) Whoever—
(i) gives a gratification to any person with the object of inducing him or any other person to exercise any electoral right or of rewarding any person for having exercised any such right;
or (ii) accepts either for himself or for any other person any gratification as a reward for exercising any such right or for inducing or attempting to induce any other person to exercise any such right, commits the offence of bribery:
Provided that a declaration of public policy or a promise of public action shall not be an offence under this section.
(2) A person who offers, or agrees to give, or offers or attempts to procure, a gratification shall be deemed to give a gratification.
(3) A person who obtains or agrees to accept or attempts to obtain a gratification shall be deemed to accept a gratification, and a person who accepts a gratification as a motive for doing what he does not intend to do, or as a reward for doing what he has not done, shall be deemed to have accepted the gratification as a reward.
Section 170, The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act 45 of 2023).
Replaces a provision of the Indian Penal Code
IPC 171B Bribery 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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
-
Tejvir Singh @ Vedvir Singh vs State of U.p.
Decided under Indian Penal Code 171B, which this section replaces. The court did not have this Act before it.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When an applicant seeks quashing of an order under Section 482 CrPC but withdraws the quashing prayer during proceedings, the High Court may dispose of the application by issuing directions to the subordinate court to ensure expeditious disposal of the pending appeal in accordance with law, without expressing opinion on the merits, thereby securing the ends of justice through procedural efficiency.
On this section: Criminal provision relating to false statements or evidence, one of the charges against the applicant.
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 170
What have the courts held on Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?
Tejvir Singh @ Vedvir Singh vs State of U.p. (16 Nov 2021) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below, though it was decided under IPC 171B, which this section replaced -- the court never mentioned this Act: Criminal provision relating to false statements or evidence, one of the charges against the applicant.
How do I find court cases under Section 170 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 170, section 170 BNS, section 170 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. People searching for it also type bns 170 in ipc and bns 170/26. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with Tejvir Singh @ Vedvir Singh vs State of U.p. (16 Nov 2021).
What should I read with Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and has it changed?
It carries forward IPC 171B (Bribery), so the judgments decided under that provision are the case law on this one.
When did Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita come into force?
Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, cited as BNS 170, 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
- 2. Definitions2199 words
- 356. Defamation1543 words
- 335. Making a false document1318 words
- 101. Murder1177 words
- 303. Theft1104 words
- 3. General explanations858 words
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.