Abetment of desertion of soldier, sailor or airman
What this section does
Punishes any person who abets the desertion of an officer, soldier, sailor, or airman from the Indian Army, Navy, or Air Force. The section targets civilians or others who encourage or facilitate desertion from the armed forces.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
Quick reference
- Punishment
- Imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to 2 years, or fine, or both.
- Triable by
- Any Magistrate
- Cognizable
- No
- Bailable
- Yes
- Compoundable
- No
Ingredients (what prosecution must prove)
- The accused abetted desertion
- The person abetted is an officer, soldier, sailor, or airman in the Army, Navy, or Air Force of the Government of India
Derived from IPC s.135.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNS Section 163, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNS Section 163 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.