BNS 64 — Punishment for rape.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

Statutory text

64. (1) Whoever, except in the cases provided for in sub-section (2),
commits  rape,  shall  be  punished  with  rigorous  imprisonment  of  either
description for a term which shall not be less than ten years, but which may
extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
 (2) Whoever,—
(a) being a police officer, commits rape,—
(i)  within  the  limits  of  the  police  station  to  which  such
police officer is appointed; or
(ii) in the premises of any station house; or

(iii) on a woman in such police officer’s custody or in the
custody of a police officer subordinate to such police officer; or
(b) being a public servant, commits rape on a woman in such
public  servant’s  custody  or  in  the  custody  of  a  public  servant
subordinate to such public servant; or
(c) being a member of the armed forces deployed in an area by
the Central Government or a State Government commits rape in such
area; or
(d) being on the management or on the staff of a jail, remand
home or other place of custody established by or under any law for
the  time  being  in  force  or  of  a  women’s  or  children’s  institution,
commits  rape  on  any  inmate  of  such  jail,  remand  home,  place  or
institution; or
(e)  being  on  the  management  or  on  the  staff  of  a  hospital,
commits rape on a woman in that hospital; or
(f)  being  a  relative,  guardian  or  teacher  of,  or  a  person  in  a
position of trust or authority towards the woman, commits rape on
such woman; or
(g) commits rape during communal or sectarian violence; or
(h) commits rape on a woman knowing her to be pregnant; or
(i) commits rape, on a woman incapable of giving consent; or
(j) being in a position of control or dominance over a woman,
commits rape on such woman; or
(k) commits rape on a woman suffering from mental or physical
disability; or
(l)  while  committing  rape  causes  grievous  bodily  harm  or
maims or disfigures or endangers the life of a woman; or
(m) commits rape repeatedly on the same woman,
shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall
not be less than ten years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life,
which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural
life, and shall also be liable to fine.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section,—
 (a)  “armed  forces”  means  the  naval, army  and  air  forces  and
includes any member of the Armed Forces constituted under any law  for
the time being in force, including the paramilitary forces and any auxiliary

forces that are under the control of the Central Government or the State
Government;
(b) “hospital” means the precincts of the hospital and includes the
precincts  of  any  institution  for  the  reception  and  treatment  of  persons
during   convalescence   or   of   persons   requiring   medical   attention   or
rehabilitation;
(c) “police officer” shall have the same meaning as assigned to the
expression “police” under the Police Act, 1861;
(d) “women’s or children’s institution” means an institution, whether
called  an  orphanage  or  a  home  for  neglected  women  or  children  or  a
widow’s  home  or  an  institution  called  by  any  other  name,  which  is
established  and  maintained  for  the  reception  and  care  of  women  or
children.
Punishment for rape in certain cases.

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