Habitually dealing in stolen property
Section 413 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with habitually dealing in stolen property. Whoever habitually receives or deals in property which he knows or has reason to believe to be stolen property, shall be punished with [imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine. 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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 habitually receives or deals in property which he knows or has reason to believe to be stolen property, shall be punished with [imprisonment for life], or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 413, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 317 Stolen property Close, with changes 81%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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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Vaman Narain Ghiya vs State of Rajasthan
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Section 439 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 requires that an accused person must be in actual custody to file a bail application before the High Court or Court of Session. The protective umbrella provided by anticipatory bail under Section 438 is of limited duration, intended only to allow the accused to move the regular court for bail. Once that limited period expires, the accused cannot bypass the statutory requirement of Section 439 by seeking to extend Section 438 protection. The distinction between Sections 438 and 439 must be maintained, and no part of the statute can be rendered redundant or dead letter by circumventing the express requirement of custody under Section 439.
On this section: Habitual receiving of stolen property; appellant was discharged of this charge by trial court
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Dharminder Singh @ Vijay Singh vs State
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When circumstantial evidence establishes that the accused were in close spatial and temporal proximity to the deceased immediately before the death, and the dead body is recovered within a short span of time thereafter in the location where the accused were heading, and the accused fail to provide any reasonable explanation for their subsequent presence at a different location or for the disappearance of the deceased, such circumstances form a complete chain of evidence that is inconsistent with any hypothesis except the guilt of the accused, thereby justifying conviction for kidnapping and murder despite the absence of direct evidence.
On this section: Punishment for receiving stolen property - cited for FIR registered at Purnia upon interception of the vehicle
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Lalit Yadav vs State of U.p. Thru. Prin. Secy. Home Lko.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When an accused has already been enlarged on bail in all related cases and the conditions under Section 19(4) of the U.P. Gangster and Anti Social Activities Prevention Act, 1986 are satisfied, bail should be granted in the main case as well, subject to strict conditions ensuring appearance and compliance with trial proceedings, in accordance with the principle that bail is the rule and committal to jail is the exception.
On this section: Habitually dealing with stolen property charges
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Vakil vs State of Rajasthan through Pp
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When a bail application has been rejected by the High Court on the ground of involvement in multiple criminal cases, a subsequent bail application will not be entertained unless there is a material change in circumstances that distinguishes the case from the earlier rejection.
On this section: Offence of habitually dealing in stolen property; charge against the petitioner
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 413
What have the courts held on Section 413 of the Indian Penal Code?
Vaman Narain Ghiya vs State of Rajasthan (12 Dec 2008) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Habitual receiving of stolen property; appellant was discharged of this charge by trial court. Another 3 judgments on this section are set out below, 2 of them from the Supreme Court. They run from 2008 to 2025.
How do I find court cases under Section 413 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 413, section 413 IPC, section 413 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 413 in bns and ipc 413 judgement. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 4 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Vaman Narain Ghiya vs State of Rajasthan (12 Dec 2008).
What should I read with Section 413 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 317 (Stolen property), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 413 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 413 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 413, 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.