Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter VI: Of Offences Affecting the Human Body · Of kidnapping, abduction, slavery and forced labour
Section 143: Trafficking of person
In plain words
Trafficking means recruiting, transporting, harbouring, transferring or receiving people for exploitation, by threats, force, coercion, abduction, fraud, abuse of power, or payments to the person who controls them. It is punishable with rigorous imprisonment of at least seven years and up to ten years, and a fine.
- "Exploitation" includes physical or sexual exploitation, slavery, servitude, beggary and forced removal of organs. The victim's consent does not matter.
- Trafficking more than one person, or a child: at least ten years up to imprisonment for life, and a fine.
- Trafficking more than one child: at least fourteen years up to imprisonment for life, and a fine.
- Repeat conviction for child trafficking, or trafficking by a public servant or police officer: imprisonment for the rest of their natural life, and a fine.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
(1) Whoever, for the purpose of exploitation recruits, transports, harbours, transfers, or receives a person or persons, by—-
(a) using threats; or
(b) using force, or any other form of coercion; or
(c) by abduction; or
(d) by practising fraud, or deception; or
(e) by abuse of power; or
(f) by inducement, including the giving or receiving of payments or benefits, in order to achieve the consent of any person having control over the person recruited, transported, harboured, transferred or received,
commits the offence of trafficking.
Explanation 1.—-The expression "exploitation" shall include any act of physical exploitation or any form of sexual exploitation, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude, beggary or forced removal of organs.
Explanation 2.—-The consent of the victim is immaterial in determination of the offence of trafficking.
(2) Whoever commits the offence of trafficking shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years, but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(3) Where the offence involves the trafficking of more than one person, it shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment 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.
(4) Where the offence involves the trafficking of a child, it shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment 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.
(5) Where the offence involves the trafficking of more than one child, it shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than fourteen years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
(6) If a person is convicted of the offence of trafficking of a child on more than one occasion, then such person shall be punished with imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person's natural life, and shall also be liable to fine.
(7) When a public servant or a police officer is involved in the trafficking of any person then, such public servant or police officer shall be punished with imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person's natural life, and shall also be liable to fine.
Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 25 August 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 143
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Pinki v. State of Uttar Pradesh and Anr.
Whether the High Court erred in passing various orders granting bail to accused persons in matters involving offences of serious nature of child trafficking.