Section 129 BNS: Criminal force
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 129 BNS at a Glance
Section 129 BNS deals with criminal force. It replaced Section 350 IPC on 1 July 2024.
None. Section 129 BNS is a definition and prescribes no sentence of imprisonment. The use of criminal force is punished under Section 131 to Section 136 BNS depending on the circumstances.
Section 129 BNS Bare Act Text
129. Criminal force
Whoever intentionally uses force to any person, without that person’s consent, in order to the committing of any offence, or intending by the use of such force to cause, or knowing it to be likely that by the use of such force he will cause injury, fear or annoyance to the person to whom the force is used, is said to use criminal force to that other.
Illustrations(a) Z is sitting in a moored boat on a river. A unfastens the moorings, and thus intentionally causes the boat to drift down the stream. Here A intentionally causes motion to Z, and he does this by disposing substances in such a manner that the motion is produced without any other action on any person’s part. A has therefore intentionally used force to Z; and if he has done so without Z’s consent, in order to the committing of any offence, or intending or knowing it to be likely that this use of force will cause injury, fear or annoyance to Z, A has used criminal force to Z.
(b) Z is riding in a chariot. A lashes Z’s horses, and thereby causes them to quicken their pace. Here A has caused change of motion to Z by inducing the animals to change their motion. A has therefore used force to Z; and if A has done this without Z’s consent, intending or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby injure, frighten or annoy Z, A has used criminal force to Z.
(c) Z is riding in a palanquin. A, intending to rob Z, seizes the pole and stops the palanquin. Here A has caused cessation of motion to Z, and he has done this by his own bodily power. A has therefore used force to Z; and as A has acted thus intentionally, without Z’s consent, in order to the commission of an offence. A has used criminal force to Z.
(d) A intentionally pushes against Z in the street. Here A has by his own bodily power moved his own person so as to bring it into contact with Z. He has therefore intentionally used force to Z; and if he has done so without Z’s consent, intending or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby injure, frighten or annoy Z, he has used criminal force to Z.
(e) A throws a stone, intending or knowing it to be likely that the stone will be thus brought into contact with Z, or with Z’s clothes, or with something carried by Z, or that it will strike water and dash up the water against Z’s clothes or something carried by Z. Here, if the throwing of the stone produce the effect of causing any substance to come into contact with Z, or Z’s clothes, A has used force to Z, and if he did so without Z’s consent, intending thereby to injure, frighten or annoy Z, he has used criminal force to Z.
(f) A intentionally pulls up a woman’s veil. Here A intentionally uses force to her, and if he does so without her consent intending or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby injure, frighten or annoy her, he has used criminal force to her.
(g) Z is bathing. A pours into the bath water which he knows to be boiling. Here A intentionally by his own bodily power causes such motion in the boiling water as brings that water into contact with Z, or with other water so situated that such contact must affect Z’s sense of feeling; A has therefore intentionally used force to Z; and if he has done this without Z’s consent intending or knowing it to be likely that he may thereby cause injury, fear or annoyance to Z, A has used criminal force.
(h) A incites a dog to spring upon Z, without Z’s consent. Here, if A intends to cause injury, fear or annoyance to Z, he uses criminal force to Z.
Source: Section 129, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 129 BNS in Simple Words
Section 129 BNS of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) defines criminal force. It applies when a person intentionally uses force against another person, and does so with the knowledge that the act may cause injury, fear, or annoyance, or with the intention of using that force unlawfully. The law is not limited to visible violence.
Even a slight physical act can amount to criminal force if it is used in the manner the section requires. This provision matters because it forms the basis for many offences involving unwanted physical contact, restraint, or force used to intimidate someone. It is often read with other sections dealing with assault, wrongful restraint, and hurt.
For a case to succeed, the prosecution must show both the use of force and the required mental element. In practical terms, the section helps the court decide whether a physical act was merely accidental, or whether it crossed the legal line into punishable conduct.
Ingredients of Section 129 BNS
- Intentional use of force to any person without that person's consent
- Using such force in order to the committing of any offence, or intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that it will cause injury, fear or annoyance under Section 129 BNS
Punishment Under Section 129 BNS
None. Section 129 BNS is a definition and prescribes no sentence of imprisonment. The use of criminal force is punished under Section 131 to Section 136 BNS depending on the circumstances.
None under Section 129 BNS. Fine is provided under the punishing provisions in Section 131 to Section 136 BNS.
Section 129 BNS defines criminal force without prescribing a punishment of its own. Punishments for criminal force are prescribed in Section 131 to Section 136 BNS.
Example of Section 129 BNS
When Section 129 BNS Does Not Apply
- No force was used to the person as force is defined under Section 128 BNS, or the contact was not caused intentionally
- The force was used with the consent of the person to whom it was applied
- The force was not used in order to the committing of any offence, and the person neither intended nor knew it to be likely that the force would cause injury, fear or annoyance
Section 129 BNS in the IPC (Previous Law)
Section 129 BNS replaces Section 350 IPC from the old criminal code.
Section 350 IPC corresponds to Section 129 BNS. The definition of criminal force, the requisite mental elements, and all eight statutory Illustrations are reproduced in Section 129 BNS without substantive change.
View IPC Section 350 →FAQs on Section 129 BNS
Under Section 129 BNS, does every physical touch count as criminal force?▼
No. The touch or act must be intentional and must be used in the manner required by law. A casual, accidental, or socially accepted contact will not usually fall within this section.
Under Section 129 BNS, is criminal force the same as assault?▼
No, they are different. Assault is about causing apprehension of force, while criminal force involves actual use of force. In many cases, both can arise from the same incident.
Can a very minor push or grab be covered under Section 129 BNS?▼
Yes, if it is intentional and done to cause injury, fear, or annoyance, or with knowledge that such consequences may follow. The law does not require serious injury for this definition to apply.
What replaced Section 350 IPC in the BNS?▼
Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, criminal force is defined in Section 129 BNS. The definition, required mental elements, and illustrations remain the same in substance, and Section 129 BNS applies to offences committed after the BNS came into force.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 16 Oct 2026 ·