Section 411 IPC: Dishonestly receiving stolen property
Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 411 IPC at a Glance
Section 411 IPC deals with dishonestly receiving stolen property. It is non-bailable and cognizable, triable by any Magistrate; from 1 July 2024 it is replaced by Section 317(2) BNS.
Imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years.
Section 411 IPC Bare Act Text
411. Dishonestly receiving stolen property
Whoever dishonestly receives or retains any stolen property, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be stolen property, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Source: Section 411, Indian Penal Code, 1860
State amendments — these apply only in the States named below, not to the rest of India
State of Tamil Nadu: Section 411 of the principal Act shall be renumbered as sub-section (1) of that section and after sub-section (1) as so renumbered, the following sub-section shall be added, namely: "(2) Whoever dishonestly receives or retains any idol or icon stolen from any building used as a place of worship knowing or having reason to believe the same to be stolen property shall, notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), be punished with rigorous imprisonment which shall not be less than two years but which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be less than two thousand rupees: Provided that the court may, for adequate and special reasons to be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than two years.". [vide Tamil Nadu Act 28 of 1993, section 3].Section 411 IPC in Simple Words
Section 411 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) punishes dishonestly receiving or retaining stolen property. Whoever dishonestly receives or retains any stolen property, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be stolen property, is punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Under the First Schedule to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, the offence is cognizable, non-bailable, and triable by any Magistrate. The offence is compoundable without the permission of the court by the owner of the stolen property under Section 320(1) CrPC.
Ingredients of Section 411 IPC
- The property in question was stolen property as defined under Section 410 IPC
- The accused dishonestly received or retained that property
- The accused knew or had reason to believe that the property was stolen property at the time of receiving or retaining it
Punishment Under Section 411 IPC
Imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years.
The court may impose fine alone, or fine in combination with imprisonment.
Dishonestly receiving or retaining stolen property carries imprisonment of either description for up to three years, or fine, or both.
Example of Section 411 IPC
When Section 411 IPC Does Not Apply
- Section 411 IPC does not apply when the goods received or held do not qualify as stolen property under Section 410 IPC.
- Section 411 IPC does not apply when the accused neither received nor retained possession or control over the stolen item.
- Section 411 IPC does not apply when a buyer purchased the item in good faith at market price without knowing or having any reason to believe that it was stolen.
- Section 411 IPC does not apply when a person temporarily holds stolen goods solely to return them to the rightful owner or hand them over to the police, as there is no dishonest intention.
Section 411 IPC in the BNS
Section 411 IPC is now covered under Section 317(2) BNS.
Section 411 IPC corresponds to Section 317(2) BNS. Section 317(2) BNS reproduces the text of the offence and its punishment without change, providing imprisonment of either description for up to three years, or fine, or both. However, because Section 317(1) BNS adds cheating to the definition of stolen property, receiving property obtained by cheating now falls within Section 317(2) BNS, whereas under Section 411 IPC property obtained by cheating was not stolen property.
View detailed comparison (IPC 411 vs BNS 317(2)) →FAQs on Section 411 IPC
What does Section 411 IPC punish?▼
Section 411 IPC punishes whoever dishonestly receives or retains any stolen property, knowing or having reason to believe the same to be stolen property.
What is the punishment under Section 411 IPC?▼
The punishment under Section 411 IPC is imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Is Section 411 IPC bailable and cognizable?▼
Under the First Schedule to the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, an offence under Section 411 IPC is cognizable and non-bailable, and is triable by any Magistrate.
Can an offence under Section 411 IPC be compounded?▼
Yes. Under Section 320(1) CrPC, an offence under Section 411 IPC can be compounded without court permission by the owner of the property stolen.
Does Section 411 IPC apply to property obtained by cheating?▼
Under the IPC, property obtained by cheating was not stolen property under Section 410 IPC, so Section 411 IPC did not apply to it. However, Section 317(1) BNS now includes property obtained by cheating.
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Sources: Bare Act Text, Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Last updated: 16 Oct 2026 ·