IPC 332 vs BNS 332
● Retained in BNSVoluntarily Causing Hurt to Deter Public Servant from Duty
Section 332 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, deals with cases where a person voluntarily causes hurt to any public servant with the intent to prevent or deter them from performing their lawful duty.
Key points:
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The victim must be a public servant engaged in the execution of their official duty.
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The act must involve voluntary hurt, either simple or grievous.
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Punishment: Imprisonment up to 3 years, or fine, or both.
For example, if someone assaults a police officer while they are enforcing the law or preventing an unlawful act, it falls under IPC 332. This section protects public servants from physical attacks that impede law enforcement or official duties.
Voluntarily Causing Hurt to Deter Public Servant from Duty
Section 332 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, mirrors IPC 332. It punishes anyone who voluntarily causes hurt to a public servant in order to obstruct or deter them from performing their lawful duties.
Key points:
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Applies to public servants such as police officers, government officials, or others performing statutory duties.
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Punishment: Imprisonment up to 3 years, or fine, or both.
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Protects public administration and ensures officials can carry out duties without fear of physical harm.
For instance, physically attacking a traffic officer trying to regulate traffic would qualify under BNS 332. The section ensures continuity of legal safeguards for public servants against assaults while performing duties.
What changed?
This provision was carried over to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita with substantially the same wording — the section was renumbered from IPC IPC 332 to BNS BNS 332.