Section 153AA IPC: Punishment for knowingly carrying arms in any procession or organising, or holding or taking part in any mass drill or mass training with arms

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Section 153AA IPC at a Glance

Section 153AA IPC deals with punishment for knowingly carrying arms in any procession or organising, or holding or taking part in any mass drill or mass training with arms. It has no direct equivalent in the BNS.

Punishment

Imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months as drafted. Section 153AA IPC was never brought into force by notification, so no person could be sentenced under it.

Section 153AA IPC Bare Act Text

153AA. Punishment for knowingly carrying arms in any procession or organising, or holding or taking part in any mass drill or mass training with arms

Whoever knowingly carries arms in any procession or organizes or holds or takes part in any mass drill or mass training with arms in any public place in contravention of any public notice or order issued or made under section 144A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees.

Explanation

"Arms" means articles of any description designed or adapted as weapons for offence or defence and includes firearms, sharp edged weapons, lathis, dandas and sticks.

Source: Section 153AA, Indian Penal Code, 1860

Section 153AA IPC in Simple Words

Section 153AA of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was drafted to punish knowingly carrying arms in any procession, or organising, holding, or taking part in any mass drill or mass training with arms in any public place in contravention of a public notice or order issued under Section 144A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

The provision was inserted by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2005, but was never brought into force by official notification.

Consequently, Section 153AA IPC never took legal effect, no person could be prosecuted or punished under it, and it has no entry in the First Schedule to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

Ingredients of Section 153AA IPC

  • Knowingly carrying arms in any procession, or organizing, holding, or taking part in any mass drill or mass training with arms
  • The conduct occurs in any public place
  • The act is done in contravention of any public notice or order issued or made under Section 144A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Punishment Under Section 153AA IPC

Imprisonment

Imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months as drafted. Section 153AA IPC was never brought into force by notification, so no person could be sentenced under it.

Fine

Fine which may extend to two thousand rupees as drafted. The section was never brought into force, so no penalty was ever enforceable.

Section 153AA IPC was drafted to punish carrying arms in a procession or mass drill with imprisonment up to six months and fine up to two thousand rupees, but the section was never brought into force.

Example of Section 153AA IPC

In 2018, in Bhopal, Arvind organised and took part in a mass training with firearms and sharp-edged weapons in a public park, and knowingly carried those weapons in a rally through the square. The text of Section 153AA IPC was enacted to apply where such conduct was done in contravention of a public notice issued under Section 144A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. However, because neither provision was ever brought into force by notification, Arvind could not be punished under Section 153AA IPC.

When Section 153AA IPC Does Not Apply

  • Section 153AA IPC does not apply to any case because the amending provision that inserted it was never notified into force.
  • Section 153AA IPC does not apply on its text where weapons are carried or training is held inside private premises rather than in a public place.
  • Section 153AA IPC does not apply on its text if the person carries articles in a procession without knowing that he is carrying arms.
  • Section 153AA IPC does not apply on its text when no public notice or order under Section 144A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is in operation.

Section 153AA IPC in the BNS

Repealed - No equivalent in BNS

Repealed. Section 153AA IPC was inserted by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2005 but was never brought into force by notification. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita contains no counterpart, and the official comparative layout lists the section as deleted.

FAQs on Section 153AA IPC

What did Section 153AA IPC provide?▼

Section 153AA IPC was drafted to penalise knowingly carrying arms in any procession, or organizing or taking part in any mass drill or training with arms in a public place contrary to an order under Section 144A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

Was Section 153AA IPC ever brought into force?▼

No. Section 153AA IPC was inserted by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2005, but the amending provision was never notified, meaning the section never became operative law.

What punishment was drafted under Section 153AA IPC?▼

The unnotified draft text provided for imprisonment for a term extending up to six months and with fine extending up to two thousand rupees.

Does Section 153AA IPC have a counterpart in the BNS?▼

No. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita does not include Section 153AA IPC, and the official comparative concordance lists the section as deleted.

What was the definition of arms under Section 153AA IPC?▼

The Explanation in the draft text defined arms as articles designed or adapted as weapons for offence or defence, including firearms, sharp-edged weapons, lathis, dandas, and sticks.

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Sources: Bare Act Text, Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Last updated: 16 Oct 2026 ·