Deserter concealed on board merchant vessel through negligence of master
What this section does
Imposes a civil penalty on the master or person in charge of a merchant vessel on board which a deserter from the Indian armed forces is concealed, even if the master was unaware of the concealment, provided the concealment could have been discovered but for the master's neglect of duty or want of discipline on board.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
Quick reference
- Punishment
- Penalty not exceeding Rs. 3,000.
- Triable by
- Any Magistrate
- Cognizable
- No
- Bailable
- Yes
- Compoundable
- No
Ingredients (what prosecution must prove)
- The accused is the master or person in charge of a merchant vessel
- A deserter from the Army, Navy, or Air Force of the Government of India was concealed on board
- The master was ignorant of the concealment
- The concealment could have been discovered but for the master's neglect of duty or want of discipline on board
Derived from IPC s.137.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNS Section 165, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNS Section 165 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.