Section 330 IPC: Voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession, or to compel restoration of property

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Section 330 IPC at a Glance

Section 330 IPC deals with voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession, or to compel restoration of property. It is bailable and cognizable, triable by Magistrate of the first class; from 1 July 2024 it is replaced by Section 120(1) BNS.

Punishment

Imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Bailable ⓘCognizable ⓘNon-Compoundable ⓘ🏛️ Magistrate of the first class ⓘ
BNS Equivalent

Section 120(1) →

Section 330 IPC Bare Act Text

330. Voluntarily causing hurt to extort confession, or to compel restoration of property

Whoever voluntarily causes hurt, for the purpose of extorting from the sufferer or from any person interested in the sufferer, any confession or any information which may lead to the detection of an offence or misconduct, or for the purpose of constraining the sufferer or any person interested in the sufferer to restore or to cause the restoration of any property or valuable security or to satisfy any claim or demand, or to give information which may lead to the restoration of any property or valuable security, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Illustrations

(a) A, a police-officer, tortures Z in order to induce Z to confess that he committed a crime. A is guilty of an offence under this section.

(b) A, a police-officer, tortures B to induce him to point out where certain stolen property is deposited. A is guilty of an offence under this section.

(c) A, a revenue officer, tortures Z in order to compel him to pay certain arrears of revenue due from Z. A is guilty of an offence under this section.

(d) A, a zamindar, tortures a raiyat in order to compel him to pay his rent. A is guilty of an offence under this section.

Source: Section 330, Indian Penal Code, 1860

Section 330 IPC in Simple Words

Section 330 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) punishes voluntarily causing hurt for the purpose of extorting any confession or information which may lead to the detection of an offence or misconduct, or for the purpose of constraining a person to restore property or valuable security, satisfy any claim or demand, or give information leading to restoration. The confession or information may be extorted from, or the constraint applied to, the sufferer or any person interested in the sufferer.

The punishment is imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and the offender is also liable to fine. The offence is cognizable, bailable, and triable by a Magistrate of the first class.

Ingredients of Section 330 IPC

  • The accused voluntarily caused hurt to any person
  • The hurt was caused for the purpose of extorting from the sufferer, or from any person interested in the sufferer, any confession or any information which may lead to the detection of an offence or misconduct
  • Or the hurt was caused for the purpose of constraining the sufferer or any person interested in the sufferer to restore or to cause the restoration of any property or valuable security, or to satisfy any claim or demand, or to give information which may lead to the restoration of any property or valuable security

Punishment Under Section 330 IPC

Imprisonment

Imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Fine

The offender is also liable to fine in addition to imprisonment.

Bailable ⓘCognizable ⓘNon-Compoundable ⓘ🏛️ Magistrate of the first class ⓘ

Voluntarily causing hurt to extort a confession or to compel restoration of property carries imprisonment of either description for up to seven years, and liability to fine. The offence is cognizable, bailable, triable by a Magistrate of the first class, and not compoundable.

Example of Section 330 IPC

In 2019, at a textile godown in Nagpur, merchant Prabhakar suspected his accountant Dinesh of taking cash from the office safe. To force Dinesh to confess to the misconduct and reveal where the money was kept, Prabhakar struck Dinesh on the back and shoulders with a leather belt, causing acute bodily pain and welts. Prabhakar also demanded that Dinesh immediately return the missing currency notes to satisfy the claim. Prabhakar voluntarily caused hurt to Dinesh for the purpose of extorting a confession and information leading to the detection of an offence and constraining the restoration of property. Prabhakar is punishable under Section 330 IPC.

When Section 330 IPC Does Not Apply

  • No bodily pain, disease, or infirmity is voluntarily caused to any person.
  • Hurt is inflicted out of personal anger or revenge without any aim of extracting a confession or uncovering an offence or misconduct.
  • The assault is unrelated to compelling the return of property or valuable security, satisfying a claim or demand, or obtaining information to recover property.
  • A confession or property restoration is obtained solely through verbal persuasion or threats without causing physical hurt.

Section 330 IPC in the BNS

Section 330 IPC is now covered under Section 120(1) BNS.

Section 330 IPC is succeeded by Section 120(1) BNS. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, hurt and grievous hurt to extort confession are consolidated into Section 120(1) BNS, with hurt assigned to sub-section 1. The substantive offence, the list of extortion and restoration purposes, and the punishment of imprisonment of either description up to seven years and liability to fine remain unchanged. However, Section 120(1) BNS omits the fourth illustration concerning the zamindar and raiyat, while retaining the first three illustrations.

View detailed comparison (IPC 330 vs BNS 120(1)) →

FAQs on Section 330 IPC

What offence does Section 330 IPC punish?▼

Section 330 IPC punishes voluntarily causing hurt for the purpose of extorting a confession or information leading to detection of an offence or misconduct, or constraining the restoration of property, satisfaction of a claim, or giving information leading to restoration.

What is the punishment prescribed under Section 330 IPC?▼

Section 330 IPC prescribes imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and the offender is also liable to fine.

Is Section 330 IPC bailable or non-bailable?▼

Under the First Schedule to the CrPC, Section 330 IPC is classified as bailable, so the accused is entitled to bail as a matter of right.

Is an offence under Section 330 IPC cognizable?▼

Yes, Section 330 IPC is a cognizable offence under the First Schedule to the CrPC.

Which court tries an offence under Section 330 IPC?▼

Under the First Schedule to the CrPC, an offence under Section 330 IPC is triable by a Magistrate of the first class.

Can an offence under Section 330 IPC be compounded?▼

No, Section 330 IPC is not listed in Section 320 CrPC and cannot be compounded.

How does Section 330 IPC differ from Section 331 IPC?▼

Section 330 IPC applies where simple hurt is caused to extort a confession or property, whereas Section 331 IPC applies where grievous hurt is caused for those purposes and is non-bailable and triable by the Court of Session.

What is the corresponding provision for Section 330 IPC in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita?▼

Section 330 IPC is codified in Section 120(1) BNS.

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Disclaimer: This is for informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified advocate for legal advice.

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