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Section171B
The Indian Penal Code, 1860

Bribery

Repealed From 01 Jan 1862 Act 45 of 1860 As on 18 Oct 2026

Act 45 of 1860 Ministry Home Affairs Enacted 06 Oct 1860 In force 01 Jan 1862

This provision is repealed. Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024. It is reproduced because conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under it.

Section 171B of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 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 Jan 1862. Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under it.

(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 171B, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).

Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

BNS 170 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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.

  1. Tejvir Singh @ Vedvir Singh vs State of U.p.

    High Court 16 Nov 2021 Persuasive (Other High Court)

    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.

    Read the full order on eCourts India

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 171B

What have the courts held on Section 171B of the Indian Penal Code?

Tejvir Singh @ Vedvir Singh vs State of U.p. (16 Nov 2021) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Criminal provision relating to false statements or evidence, one of the charges against the applicant.

How do I find court cases under Section 171B of the Indian Penal Code?

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: IPC 171B, section 171B IPC, section 171B of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 171b in bns and 171b ipc punishment. 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 171B of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?

For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 170 (Bribery), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.

When did Section 171B of the Indian Penal Code come into force?

Section 171B of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 171B, came into force on 01 Jan 1862, having been enacted on 06 Oct 1860. It is no longer in force.

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. Recovered from the consolidated text published by India Code (item 7b7d4fe6-206b-4e33-81f1-b98b018acaf6). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.