Unlawful compulsory labour
What this section does
This section penalises any person who unlawfully compels another person to labour against that person's will. It is a short provision protecting individual liberty against forced labour.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
Quick reference
- Punishment
- Imprisonment of either description up to 1 year, or fine, or both.
- Triable by
- Any Magistrate
- Cognizable
- No
- Bailable
- Yes
- Compoundable
- No
Ingredients (what prosecution must prove)
- The accused compelled a person to labour
- The compulsion was unlawful
- The labour was against the will of that person
Derived from IPC s.374.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNS Section 146, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNS Section 146 forms part of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita which replaced the Indian Penal Code 1860 on 1 July 2024. Any new filing, FIR, charge sheet, or bail application made on or after that date should cite the new section number. References to the old act in legacy documents remain valid for matters that arose before the changeover.