IPC 172→BNS 206

IPC 172 to BNS 206: Absconding to avoid service of summons or other proceeding

Section 172 IPC (1860) replaced by Section 206 BNS (2023)

View IPC Section 172 →View BNS Section 206 →

IPC 172 to BNS 206 at a Glance

Section 172 IPC (Absconding to avoid service of summons or other proceeding) is now Section 206 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 172 to BNS 206?

Section 172 IPC is now Section 206 BNS, with the same title and the same terms of imprisonment of one month and six months. The fines rise from five hundred rupees to five thousand rupees and from one thousand rupees to ten thousand rupees. The second limb now speaks of a Court and no longer of a Court of Justice. The BNS also sets the two limbs out as clauses a and b.

IPC 172 vs BNS 206: Comparison Table

AspectIPC 1860 (repealed)BNS 2023 (in force)
Section172206
OffenceAbsconding to avoid service of summons or other proceedingSame
PunishmentSimple imprisonment for up to one month. Where the summons or notice or order is to attend in person or by agent, or to produce a document or an electronic record in a Court of Justice, simple imprisonment for up to six months.Simple imprisonment for up to one month. Where the summons, notice or order is to attend in person or by agent, or to produce a document or an electronic record in a Court, simple imprisonment for up to six months.
FineFine up to five hundred rupees, or up to one thousand rupees where the summons or notice or order is to attend in person or by agent, or to produce a document or an electronic record in a Court of Justice. The court may impose fine instead of imprisonment or with it.Fine up to five thousand rupees, or up to ten thousand rupees where the summons, notice or order is to attend in person or by agent, or to produce a document or an electronic record in a Court. The court may impose fine instead of imprisonment or with it.
BailBailableSame
CognizanceNon-CognizableSame
CompoundableNon-CompoundableSame
Triable ByAny MagistrateSame

IPC 172 and BNS 206: Bare Act Text Side by Side

IPC 1860 (repealed)

Section 172, IPC 1860

172. Absconding to avoid service of summons or other proceeding.—Whoever absconds in order to avoid being served with a summons, notice or order proceeding from any public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to issue such summons, notice or order, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both; or, if the summons or notice or order is to attend in person or by agent, or to produce a document or an electronic record in a Court of Justice, with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.
BNS 2023 (in force)

Section 206, BNS 2023

Whoever absconds in order to avoid being served with a summons, notice or order proceeding from any public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to issue such summons, notice or order,— (a) shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both; (b) where such summons or notice or order is to attend in person or by agent, or to produce a document or an electronic record in a Court shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both.

Ingredients: IPC 172 vs BNS 206

Under IPC 172
  1. The accused absconded
  2. The accused absconded in order to avoid being served with a summons, notice or order
  3. The summons, notice or order proceeded from a public servant
  4. That public servant was legally competent, as such public servant, to issue the summons, notice or order
Under BNS 206
  1. Absconding by the accused in order to avoid being served with a summons, notice or order
  2. A summons, notice or order proceeding from a public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to issue it

What IPC 172 to BNS 206 Means for Pending Cases

For Section 172 IPC (now Section 206 BNS): the offence and the terms of imprisonment are unchanged, but the fines are ten times higher, five thousand rupees and ten thousand rupees. A charge for an act done after the BNS came into force cites Section 206 BNS and carries these higher fines.

FAQs: IPC 172 to BNS 206

What changed when Section 172 IPC became Section 206 BNS?▼

The fines. Section 206 BNS raises the fine from five hundred rupees to five thousand rupees in the first limb and from one thousand rupees to ten thousand rupees in the second limb. The imprisonment of one month and six months is the same, and Court of Justice becomes Court.

Where does Section 172 IPC sit in the BNS?▼

In Section 206 BNS, in Chapter XIII, Of Contempts of the Lawful Authority of Public Servants.

Does Section 172 IPC or Section 206 BNS apply to an act done before 1 July 2024?▼

Section 172 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 172 IPC. Section 206 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 ·