Section 354 BNS: Act caused by inducing person to believe that he will be rendered an object of Divine displeasure
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 354 BNS at a Glance
Section 354 BNS deals with act caused by inducing person to believe that he will be rendered an object of Divine displeasure. It is bailable and non-cognizable, triable by any Magistrate; it replaced Section 508 IPC on 1 July 2024.
Imprisonment of either description for up to one year.
Section 354 BNS Bare Act Text
354. Act caused by inducing person to believe that he will be rendered an object of the Divine displeasure
Whoever voluntarily causes or attempts to cause any person to do anything which that person is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do anything which he is legally entitled to do, by inducing or attempting to induce that person to believe that he or any person in whom he is interested will become or will be rendered by some act of the offender an object of Divine displeasure if he does not do the thing which it is the object of the offender to cause him to do, or if he does the thing which it is the object of the offender to cause him to omit, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
Illustrations(a) A sits dharna at Z’s door with the intention of causing it to be believed that, by so sitting, he renders Z an object of Divine displeasure. A has committed the offence defined in this section.
(b) A threatens Z that, unless Z performs a certain act, A will kill one of A’s own children, under such circumstances that the killing would be believed to render Z an object of Divine displeasure. A has committed the offence defined in this section.
Source: Section 354, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 354 BNS in Simple Words
Section 354 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) deals with voluntarily causing or attempting to cause any person to do anything which that person is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do anything which they are legally entitled to do, by inducing or attempting to induce them to believe that they, or any person in whom they are interested, will become or be rendered by some act of the offender an object of Divine displeasure.
The law targets the misuse of spiritual fear as a tool of coercion, such as sitting dharna at someone's door or threatening self-harm so the victim believes the offender's act will bring Divine displeasure upon them if they do not comply. Because attempts are expressly included, the offence is complete even if the victim refuses to give in to the pressure.
Ingredients of Section 354 BNS
- Causing or attempting to cause a person to do what he is not legally bound to do, or to omit what he is legally entitled to do
- Inducing fear that the person or someone in whom he is interested will become an object of Divine displeasure through an act of the offender
Punishment Under Section 354 BNS
Imprisonment of either description for up to one year.
Fine in place of imprisonment, or both. The section sets no limit.
Inducing a person to act or refrain from acting through fear of Divine displeasure is punishable with imprisonment of either description for up to one year, or fine, or both. It is non-cognizable and bailable, triable by any Magistrate, and compoundable by the person induced without permission of the court.
Example of Section 354 BNS
When Section 354 BNS Does Not Apply
- The person is induced to do only what the law already binds him to do, or to omit only what he is not legally entitled to do
- The belief induced is not that the person will become an object of Divine displeasure through some act of the offender
Section 354 BNS in the IPC (Previous Law)
Section 354 BNS replaces Section 508 IPC from the old criminal code.
Section 508 IPC corresponds to Section 354 BNS. The heading omits the word the before Divine displeasure, and the first illustration updates the spelling of dhurna to dharna. The statutory text and punishment remain unchanged.
View IPC Section 508 →FAQs on Section 354 BNS
What kind of conduct is covered under Section 354 BNS?▼
It covers voluntarily causing or attempting to cause a person to do something they are not legally bound to do, or to omit something they are legally entitled to do, by inducing them to believe that some act of the offender will render them or someone they care about an object of Divine displeasure.
Under Section 354 BNS, does the accused need to make a false religious claim?▼
There must be an inducement or attempt to induce the victim to believe that some act of the offender will render the victim, or a person in whom the victim is interested, an object of Divine displeasure. Mere religious advice or general spiritual warnings not tied to an act of the offender do not fall under this section.
Is Section 354 BNS bailable?▼
Yes, it is a bailable offence. It is also non-cognizable, which means police usually cannot arrest or investigate it without a Magistrate's order.
Under Section 354 BNS, does the offence apply if the victim refuses to give in?▼
Yes. Section 354 BNS expressly punishes both voluntarily causing and attempting to cause a person to act or omit to act through such inducement, so the offence is made out even if the victim does not comply.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Last updated: 16 Oct 2026 ·