Section 232 BNS: Threatening any person to give false evidence
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 232 BNS at a Glance
Section 232 BNS deals with threatening any person to give false evidence. It is non-bailable and cognizable; it replaced Section 195A IPC on 1 July 2024.
Imprisonment of either description for up to seven years. If an innocent person is convicted and sentenced in consequence of the false evidence, with death or imprisonment for more than seven years, the same punishment and sentence as that innocent person.
Section 232 BNS Bare Act Text
(1) Whoever threatens another with any injury to his person, reputation or property or to the person or reputation of any one in whom that person is interested, with intent to cause that person to give false evidence shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.
(2) If innocent person is convicted and sentenced in consequence of false evidence referred to in sub-section (1), with death or imprisonment for more than seven years, the person who threatens shall be punished with the same punishment and sentence in the same manner and to the same extent such innocent person is punished and sentenced.
Source: Section 232, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 232 BNS in the IPC (Previous Law)
Section 232 BNS replaced Section 195A IPC from 1 July 2024.
Each sub-section below names its own source.
FAQs on Section 232 BNS
Does the witness have to actually give false evidence for Section 232 BNS to apply?▼
No. The offence is made out when the threat is used with the intention of making the person give false evidence. The law does not wait for the false statement to be actually given.
Can Section 232 BNS apply in a civil case as well?▼
Yes. It can apply in any proceeding where evidence is being given or is likely to be given on oath or affirmation. It is not limited to criminal trials.
Is the person who is threatened also guilty under Section 232 BNS?▼
No, not under this section. The section targets the person who threatens or pressures the witness. The witness may be examined separately if they actually give false evidence.
What is the punishment under Section 232 BNS?▼
The punishment can extend to 7 years' imprisonment, or fine, or both. The court looks at the facts, the seriousness of the threat, and its impact on the case.
What does Section 232(2) of the BNS cover?▼
Section 232(2) BNS applies when someone threatens a person to make them give false evidence, and because of that false evidence an innocent person is convicted and sentenced to death or to imprisonment for more than seven years. In that situation, the person who gave the threat can be punished in the same manner and to the same extent as the innocent person was punished.
What has to be proved under Section 232(2) BNS?▼
It must be shown that the person threatened another with injury to person, reputation or property, or to the person or reputation of someone in whom that person is interested, with the intent to make that person give false evidence. It must also be shown that, because of that false evidence, an innocent person was convicted and sentenced to death or imprisonment for more than seven years.
What is the punishment under Section 232(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?▼
The punishment can be the same punishment and sentence, in the same manner and to the same extent, as the innocent person received. This applies only where the innocent person was convicted and sentenced, in consequence of the false evidence, to death or to imprisonment for more than seven years.
How is Section 232(2) BNS different from just threatening someone to give false evidence?▼
Section 232(1) BNS covers the threat itself made with intent to cause false evidence, and the text says punishment may extend to seven years, or fine, or both. Section 232(2) goes further and applies only if an innocent person is actually convicted and sentenced to death or imprisonment for more than seven years because of that false evidence.
Section 232 BNS: Sub-sections Explained
Section 232(1) BNS: Threatening any person to give false evidence
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Bare Act Text
(1) Whoever threatens another with any injury to his person, reputation or property or to the person or reputation of any one in whom that person is interested, with intent to cause that person to give false evidence shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.
Explained in Simple Words
Section 232 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) deals with threats used to make a person give false evidence. It applies when someone threatens another person, or uses pressure of a serious kind, with the aim of forcing them to lie, change their statement, or give false testimony in a legal proceeding. The law is meant to protect the truth-finding process of courts and tribunals.
This section is used against the person who creates the pressure, not the witness who is being threatened. In practice, it matters in criminal trials, civil disputes, and any case where evidence is recorded on oath. If a person is intimidated into lying, the justice process is harmed at its core.
That is why the law treats such conduct as a serious offence, even if the false evidence is never actually given. The offence is complete once the threat is made with the required intent.
Key Ingredients
- A threat of injury to the person, reputation or property of another, or to the person or reputation of someone in whom that other is interested
- Intent to cause that person to give false evidence
- For the higher punishment, the conviction and sentence of an innocent person in consequence of that false evidence
Punishment
🔒 Imprisonment of either description for up to seven years. If an innocent person is convicted and sentenced in consequence of the false evidence, with death or imprisonment for more than seven years, the same punishment and sentence as that innocent person.
💰 The offender may be punished with fine alone or with both imprisonment and fine.
Threatening a person to give false evidence carries imprisonment for up to seven years, or fine, or both, and the same sentence as an innocent person convicted in consequence.
Real-World Example
When This Does Not Apply
- The accused made no threat of injury to a person, reputation or property
- The threat was not made with intent to cause the person to give false evidence
- The person gave false evidence without any threat from the accused
- The act is using evidence known to be false, which is punished under Section 233 BNS
Previous Law
IPC 195A → Section 232(1) BNS
Section 195A IPC is now Section 232(1) BNS, with the same title and the same punishment. The BNS splits the text into two sub-sections. Sub-section one holds the threat and its punishment. Sub-section two holds the higher punishment for the conviction of an innocent person. Where the IPC refers to such false evidence, sub-section two refers to the false evidence mentioned in sub-section one. The meaning is the same.
Section 232(2) BNS: Threatening any person to give false evidence
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Bare Act Text
(2) If innocent person is convicted and sentenced in consequence of false evidence referred to in sub-section (1), with death or imprisonment for more than seven years, the person who threatens shall be punished with the same punishment and sentence in the same manner and to the same extent such innocent person is punished and sentenced.
Explained in Simple Words
Section 232(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) applies to a person who threatens another to make that person give false evidence, where the resulting false evidence leads to the conviction and severe sentencing of an innocent person. It builds on the threat described in Section 232(1) BNS, which is a threat of injury to a person's body, reputation or property, or to the person or reputation of anyone in whom that person is interested, made with intent to cause false evidence.
This sub-section is attracted only when two outcomes follow from such false evidence: an innocent person is convicted in consequence of that false evidence, and the sentence imposed on that innocent person is either death or imprisonment for more than seven years. If no conviction occurs, or if the sentence is seven years or less, this sub-section does not apply.
When Section 232(2) BNS applies, the person who made the threat shall be punished with the same punishment and sentence, in the same manner and to the same extent, as the innocent person who was convicted and sentenced.
Key Ingredients
- Threat to another person
- Threat is of injury to person, reputation or property, or to a person or reputation of someone in whom that person is interested
- Intent to cause that person to give false evidence
- False evidence is given because of that threat
- An innocent person is convicted and sentenced to death or imprisonment for more than seven years in consequence of that false evidence
Punishment
🔒 The offender shall be punished with the same punishment and sentence, in the same manner and to the same extent, as the innocent person who was convicted and sentenced to death or imprisonment for more than seven years.
💰 Fine applies in the same manner and to the same extent as imposed in the sentence of the convicted innocent person.
Threatening a person to give false evidence, in consequence of which an innocent person is convicted and sentenced to death or imprisonment for more than seven years, is punishable with the same punishment and sentence in the same manner and to the same extent as imposed on that innocent person.
Real-World Example
When This Does Not Apply
- No innocent person is convicted and sentenced to death or imprisonment for more than seven years in consequence of the false evidence, in which case Section 232(1) BNS may apply instead
- A person threatens another in anger, but not with the intent to make that person give false evidence
- A witness lies in court on his own without any threat from anyone
- A threat is made, but it is not of injury to person, reputation or property, nor to the person or reputation of someone in whom that person is interested
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 16 Oct 2026 ·