Disturbing religious assembly
Section 296 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with disturbing religious assembly. Whoever voluntarily causes disturbance to any assembly lawfully engaged in the performance of religious worship, or religious ceremonies, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both. 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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 voluntarily causes disturbance to any assembly lawfully engaged in the performance of religious worship, or religious ceremonies, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
Section 296, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 300 Disturbing religious assembly 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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
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Soraba Police vs Nagaraj M H
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When the sole witness in a criminal case (the complainant himself) testifies in a manner contradictory to the prosecution's case and fails to identify the accused or support the charges, and when the prosecution fails to produce sufficient corroborating evidence, the accused is entitled to acquittal as the prosecution has not discharged its burden of proving the charges beyond reasonable doubt.
On this section: Offense of deliberate act intended to insult the religion or religious beliefs of any person. Court found insufficient evidence to prove this charge against the accused.
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 296
What have the courts held on Section 296 of the Indian Penal Code?
Soraba Police vs Nagaraj M H (14 Dec 2022) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Offense of deliberate act intended to insult the religion or religious beliefs of any person. Court found insufficient evidence to prove this charge against the accused.
How do I find court cases under Section 296 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 296, section 296 IPC, section 296 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 296 b and ipc 296(b). 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 Soraba Police vs Nagaraj M H (14 Dec 2022).
What should I read with Section 296 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 300 (Disturbing religious assembly), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 296 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 296 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 296, 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
- 499. Defamation1512 words
- 464. Making a false document1223 words
- 300. Murder1172 words
- 378. Theft980 words
- 108. Abettor745 words
- 403. Dishonest misappropriation of property727 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. Recovered from the consolidated text published by India Code (item 7b7d4fe6-206b-4e33-81f1-b98b018acaf6). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.