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Section171E
The Indian Penal Code, 1860

Punishment for bribery

Repealed From 01 Jan 1862 Act 45 of 1860 As on 16 Oct 2026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This provision is repealed. Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024.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 171E of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with punishment for bribery. Whoever commits the offence of bribery shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both: Provided that bribery by treating shall be punished with fine only. 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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.

Whoever commits the offence of bribery shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both:

Provided that bribery by treating shall be punished with fine

only.

Explanation.-"Treating" means that form of bribery where the gratification consists in food, drink, entertainment, or provision.

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

Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita

BNS 173 Punishment for 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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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. C.p. Yogeshwara vs State of Karnataka

    High Court 03 Feb 2012 Persuasive (Other HC)

    Court's Decision & Legal Precedent

    Criminal proceedings for electoral offences cannot be quashed on the ground of limitation alone, as the court possesses statutory power under Section 473 CrPC to extend the limitation period in the interest of justice. However, the trial court must consider the question of limitation before proceeding further against the accused, taking into account the exclusion of the absconding period under Section 470 CrPC and the discretionary power to extend limitation under Section 473 CrPC, after hearing both parties.

    On this section: Electoral offence of personation at elections; punishable with imprisonment for a period of one year. The court noted this as one of the offences alleged against the accused.

    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 171E

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

C.p. Yogeshwara vs State of Karnataka (03 Feb 2012) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Electoral offence of personation at elections; punishable with imprisonment for a period of one year. The court noted this as one of the offences alleged against the accused.

How do I find court cases under Section 171E 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 171E, section 171E IPC, section 171E of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type 171e ipc punishment and 171e ipc bailable or not. 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 C.p. Yogeshwara vs State of Karnataka (03 Feb 2012).

What should I read with Section 171E of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?

For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 173 (Punishment for bribery), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.

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

Section 171E of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 171E, 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.