Misconduct in public by a drunken person
Section 510 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with misconduct in public by a drunken person. Whoever, in a state of intoxication, appears in any public place, or in any place which it is a trespass in him to enter, and there conducts himself in such a manner as to cause annoyance to any person, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty-four hours, or w 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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, in a state of intoxication, appears in any public place, or in any place which it is a trespass in him to enter, and there conducts himself in such a manner as to cause annoyance to any person, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty-four hours, or with fine which may extend to ten rupees, or with both.
CHAPTER XXIII
OF ATTEMPTS TO COMMIT OFFENCES
CHAPTER XXIII
OF ATTEMPTS TO COMMIT OFFENCES
Section 510, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 355 Misconduct in public by a drunken person Text carried over almost unchanged 95%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
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.
-
Si of Polce vs Prakash
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When a criminal case remains pending for an extended period (over two years) without substantive progress, and the prosecution repeatedly fails to serve summons on the accused despite multiple opportunities and court orders, the court may exercise its discretion under Section 258 CrPC to stop proceedings and discharge the accused, as the principle that delayed justice is denied justice takes precedence over the state's interest in prosecution.
On this section: Read in conjunction with Section 4(1)(j) TN Prohibition Act; relates to misconduct in public by a person who is drunk or disorderly.
-
State 430 IPC vs Onkar Supdu SonawaneKoli
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When all prosecution witnesses are declared hostile by the prosecution itself and fail to support the prosecution's case, and when the complainant is not examined as a witness, the prosecution cannot discharge its burden of proving the accused's guilt beyond reasonable doubt. In such circumstances, the accused must be acquitted under CrPC Section 248(1), as the benefit of doubt must go to the accused.
On this section: Cited in charge sheet but not pursued in final judgment
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 510
What have the courts held on Section 510 of the Indian Penal Code?
Si of Polce vs Prakash (30 Jun 2026) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Read in conjunction with Section 4(1)(j) TN Prohibition Act; relates to misconduct in public by a person who is drunk or disorderly. Another 1 judgment on this section is set out below. They run from 2016 to 2026.
How do I find court cases under Section 510 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 510, section 510 IPC, section 510 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 510 advantech and ipc 510 in bns. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 2 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Si of Polce vs Prakash (30 Jun 2026).
What should I read with Section 510 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
2 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 355 (Misconduct in public by a drunken person), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 510 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 510 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 510, 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.