Punishment for lurking house-trespass or house-breaking
Section 453 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with punishment for lurking house-trespass or house-breaking. Whoever commits lurking house-trespass or house-breaking, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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 commits lurking house-trespass or house-breaking, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 453, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 331 Punishment for house-trespass or house-breaking Text carried over almost unchanged 88%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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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Dwarka Das vs State and Anr.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
In cases involving disputed land ownership where criminal trespass charges are based on conflicting claims regarding gift deeds and land rights, the High Court should not summarily quash the FIR but should direct the Investigating Agency to conduct thorough investigation including proper land demarcation through revenue records and fair consideration of the accused's defence regarding valid gift deeds before concluding the investigation.
On this section: Lurking house-trespass or house-breaking - charge against petitioner; court noted no incriminating evidence found by police
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 453
What have the courts held on Section 453 of the Indian Penal Code?
Dwarka Das vs State and Anr. (11 Nov 2016) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Lurking house-trespass or house-breaking - charge against petitioner; court noted no incriminating evidence found by police.
How do I find court cases under Section 453 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 453, section 453 IPC, section 453 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 453 punishment and ipc 453 in bns. 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 Dwarka Das vs State and Anr. (11 Nov 2016).
What should I read with Section 453 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 331 (Punishment for house-trespass or house-breaking), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 453 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 453 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 453, 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.