Old law lookup

IPC Section 354

Assault on woman with intent to outrage modesty

New section under BNS

BNS Section 74— Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty

Effective for any FIR, charge sheet, or filing on or after 1 July 2024. Matters that arose before that date continue under the IPC.

What the new section does

This section penalises assault or use of criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage, or with knowledge that it is likely to outrage, her modesty. It carries a mandatory minimum sentence of one year's imprisonment. The offence is commonly known as 'outraging the modesty of a woman'.

Punishment: Imprisonment of either description for a term not less than one year and which may extend to five years, and fine.
Triable by: Magistrate of First Class
Cognizable: Yes
Bailable: No

For the full text of the new section, see the linked BNS page above. For the binding statutory text, refer to the India Code or the Gazette of India. This reference is informational, not legal advice.