BNS · Section 302 · Chapter XVI — OF OFFENCES RELATING TO RELIGION
Uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings of any person
What this section does
Penalises deliberate acts — uttering words, making sounds, gestures, or placing objects — intended to wound the religious feelings of any person who hears or sees them.
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 1 year, or fine, or both.
- Triable by
- Any Magistrate
- Cognizable
- No
- Bailable
- Yes
- Compoundable
- No
Ingredients (what prosecution must prove)
- Accused uttered a word or made a sound in the hearing of a person, OR made a gesture or placed an object in the sight of a person
- The act was done with the deliberate intention of wounding the religious feelings of that person
Old-law correspondence
- IPC Section 378 — Theft (definition)
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNS Section 302, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNS Section 302 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.