IPC 140→BNS 168

IPC 140 to BNS 168: Wearing garb or carrying token used by soldier, sailor or airman

Section 140 IPC (1860) replaced by Section 168 BNS (2023)

View IPC Section 140 →View BNS Section 168 →

IPC 140 to BNS 168 at a Glance

Section 140 IPC (Wearing garb or carrying token used by soldier, sailor or airman) is now Section 168 BNS, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNS it is bailable and cognizable. What changed is set out below.

What Changed From IPC 140 to BNS 168?

Section 140 IPC is now Section 168 BNS, with the same title and the same intention to be believed a soldier, sailor or airman. Two things changed. The first service named is now the Army where the IPC names the Military, and the maximum fine is now two thousand rupees where the IPC set it at five hundred rupees. The imprisonment of up to three months is unchanged.

IPC 140 vs BNS 168: Comparison Table

AspectIPC 1860 (repealed)BNS 2023 (in force)
Section140168
OffenceWearing garb or carrying token used by soldier, sailor or airmanSame
PunishmentImprisonment of either description for up to three months.Same
FineFine of up to five hundred rupees, which may be imposed alone or together with imprisonment.Fine of up to two thousand rupees, which may be imposed alone or together with imprisonment.
BailBailableSame
CognizanceCognizableSame
CompoundableNon-CompoundableSame
Triable ByAny MagistrateSame

IPC 140 and BNS 168: Bare Act Text Side by Side

IPC 1860 (repealed)

Section 140, IPC 1860

140. Wearing garb or carrying token used by soldier, sailor or airman.—Whoever, not being a soldier, sailor or airman in the Military, Naval or Air service of the Government of India, wears any garb or carries any token resembling any garb or token used by such a soldier, sailor or airman with the intention that it may be believed that he is such a soldier, sailor or airman, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both.
BNS 2023 (in force)

Section 168, BNS 2023

Whoever, not being a soldier, sailor or airman in the Army, Naval or Air service of the Government of India, wears any garb or carries any token resembling any garb or token used by such a soldier, sailor or airman with the intention that it may be believed that he is such a soldier, sailor or airman, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both.

Ingredients: IPC 140 vs BNS 168

Under IPC 140
  1. The accused was not a soldier, sailor or airman in the Military, Naval or Air service of the Government of India
  2. The accused wore a garb or carried a token
  3. The garb or token resembled one used by such a soldier, sailor or airman
  4. The accused did so with the intention that it may be believed that he is such a soldier, sailor or airman
Under BNS 168
  1. A person who is not a soldier, sailor or airman in the Army, Naval or Air service of the Government of India
  2. Wearing a garb or carrying a token resembling one used by such a soldier, sailor or airman, with the intention that it may be believed that he is one

What IPC 140 to BNS 168 Means for Pending Cases

For Section 140 IPC (now Section 168 BNS): the offence and the term of imprisonment are unchanged, but the maximum fine for an act done after the BNS came into force is two thousand rupees and not five hundred. The service named first in the section is the Army and not the Military, and the charge cites Section 168 BNS.

FAQs: IPC 140 to BNS 168

What changed when Section 140 IPC became Section 168 BNS?▼

The number, one word and the fine. Section 168 BNS names the Army where Section 140 IPC names the Military, and its maximum fine is two thousand rupees where Section 140 IPC sets it at five hundred rupees. The imprisonment of up to three months is the same.

Where does Section 140 IPC sit in the BNS?▼

In Section 168 BNS, the last section of Chapter VIII, Of Offences Relating to the Army, Navy and Air Force.

Does Section 140 IPC or Section 168 BNS apply to an act done before 1 July 2024?▼

Section 140 IPC. Section 358 BNS repealed the IPC from 1 July 2024 but saves any liability already incurred under it, so an act done before that date is still dealt with under Section 140 IPC. Section 168 BNS governs acts done on or after 1 July 2024.

Disclaimer: This comparison is for informational purposes only. The new criminal laws came into effect on 1 July 2024. Consult a qualified advocate for legal advice.

Sources: Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 16 Oct 2026 ·