IPC 166→BNS 198

IPC 166 to BNS 198: Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person

Section 166 IPC (1860) replaced by Section 198 BNS (2023)

View IPC Section 166 →View BNS Section 198 →

IPC 166 to BNS 198 at a Glance

Section 166 IPC (Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person) is now Section 198 BNS, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNS it is bailable and non-cognizable. What changed is set out below.

What Changed From IPC 166 to BNS 198?

Section 166 IPC is now Section 198 BNS, with the same title and the same punishment. The words of the offence are unchanged. In the illustration the BNS says a Court where the IPC said a Court of Justice.

IPC 166 vs BNS 198: Comparison Table

AspectIPC 1860 (repealed)BNS 2023 (in force)
Section166198
OffencePublic servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any personSame
PunishmentSimple imprisonment for up to one year.Same
FineThe offender may be punished with fine alone or with both simple imprisonment and fine. The section fixes no amount.Same
BailBailableSame
CognizanceNon-CognizableSame
CompoundableNon-CompoundableSame
Triable ByMagistrate of the first classSame

IPC 166 and BNS 198: Bare Act Text Side by Side

IPC 1860 (repealed)

Section 166, IPC 1860

166. Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person.—Whoever, being a public servant, knowingly disobeys any direction of the law as to the way in which he is to conduct himself as such public servant, intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will by such disobedience, cause injury to any person, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both. Illustration A, being an officer directed by law to take property in execution, in order to satisfy a decree pronounced in Z's favour by a Court of Justice, knowingly disobeys that direction of law, with the knowledge that he is likely thereby to cause injury to Z. A has committed the offence defined in this section.
BNS 2023 (in force)

Section 198, BNS 2023

Whoever, being a public servant, knowingly disobeys any direction of the law as to the way in which he is to conduct himself as such public servant, intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will by such disobedience, cause injury to any person, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both. Illustration. A, being an officer directed by law to take property in execution, in order to satisfy a decree pronounced in Z's favour by a Court, knowingly disobeys that direction of law, with the knowledge that he is likely thereby to cause injury to Z. A has committed the offence defined in this section.

Ingredients: IPC 166 vs BNS 198

Under IPC 166
  1. The accused is a public servant
  2. The accused knowingly disobeys a direction of the law as to the way in which he is to conduct himself as such public servant
  3. The accused intends by the disobedience to cause injury to any person, or knows it to be likely that he will by the disobedience cause injury to any person
Under BNS 198
  1. The offender is a public servant
  2. The public servant knowingly disobeys a direction of the law on the way he is to conduct himself as such public servant
  3. The disobedience is intended to cause injury to any person, or the public servant knows it to be likely that he will by it cause injury to any person

What IPC 166 to BNS 198 Means for Pending Cases

For Section 166 IPC (now Section 198 BNS): the offence and the punishment are unchanged, so the charge for an act done after the BNS came into force cites Section 198 BNS and is framed exactly as before.

FAQs: IPC 166 to BNS 198

What changed when Section 166 IPC became Section 198 BNS?▼

Only the number. Section 198 BNS repeats the title and the words of the offence in Section 166 IPC, and the punishment is the same. The one difference in wording is in the illustration, which now says a Court in place of a Court of Justice.

Where does Section 166 IPC sit in the BNS?▼

In Section 198 BNS, in Chapter XII, Of Offences by or Relating to Public Servants.

Does Section 166 IPC or Section 198 BNS apply to an act done before 1 July 2024?▼

Section 166 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 166 IPC. Section 198 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 ·