IPC 185→BNS 220

IPC 185 to BNS 220: Illegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public servant

Section 185 IPC (1860) replaced by Section 220 BNS (2023)

View IPC Section 185 →View BNS Section 220 →

IPC 185 to BNS 220 at a Glance

Section 185 IPC (Illegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public servant) is now Section 220 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 185 to BNS 220?

Section 185 IPC is now Section 220 BNS, with the same title, the same words and the same punishment.

IPC 185 vs BNS 220: Comparison Table

AspectIPC 1860 (repealed)BNS 2023 (in force)
Section185220
OffenceIllegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public servantSame
PunishmentImprisonment of either description for up to one month.Same
FineFine of up to two hundred rupees, alone or with imprisonment.Same
BailBailableSame
CognizanceNon-CognizableSame
CompoundableNon-CompoundableSame
Triable ByAny MagistrateSame

IPC 185 and BNS 220: Bare Act Text Side by Side

IPC 1860 (repealed)

Section 185, IPC 1860

185. Illegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public servant.—Whoever, at any sale of property held by the lawful authority of a public servant, as such, purchases or bids for any property on account of any person, whether himself or any other, whom he knows to be under a legal incapacity to purchase that property at that sale, or bids for such property not intending to perform the obligations under which he lays himself by such bidding, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both.
BNS 2023 (in force)

Section 220, BNS 2023

Whoever, at any sale of property held by the lawful authority of a public servant, as such, purchases or bids for any property on account of any person, whether himself or any other, whom he knows to be under a legal incapacity to purchase that property at that sale, or bids for such property not intending to perform the obligations under which he lays himself by such bidding, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both.

Ingredients: IPC 185 vs BNS 220

Under IPC 185
  1. The sale of the property was held by the lawful authority of a public servant, as such
  2. The accused purchased or bid for property at that sale, either for himself or for any other person
  3. In the first case, the accused purchased or bid on account of a person whom he knew to be under a legal incapacity to purchase that property at that sale
  4. In the second case, the accused bid for the property not intending to perform the obligations under which he lays himself by the bidding
Under BNS 220
  1. A sale of property held by the lawful authority of a public servant, as such
  2. A purchase or bid on account of a person known to be under a legal incapacity to purchase, or a bid made without intending to perform the obligations of the bid

What IPC 185 to BNS 220 Means for Pending Cases

For Section 185 IPC (now Section 220 BNS): the offence and the punishment are unchanged, so the charge for an act done after the BNS came into force cites Section 220 BNS and is framed exactly as before.

FAQs: IPC 185 to BNS 220

What changed when Section 185 IPC became Section 220 BNS?▼

Only the number. Section 220 BNS repeats the title and the words of Section 185 IPC, and the punishment is the same.

Where does Section 185 IPC sit in the BNS?▼

In Section 220 BNS, in Chapter XIII, Of Contempts of the Lawful Authority of Public Servants.

Does Section 185 IPC or Section 220 BNS apply to an act done before 1 July 2024?▼

Section 185 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 185 IPC. Section 220 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 ·