Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter III: General Exceptions
Section 24: Offence requiring a particular intent or knowledge committed by one who is intoxicated
In plain words
For offences that need a particular knowledge or intent, a person who was voluntarily intoxicated is treated as having the same knowledge they would have had if sober. The exception is where the substance was given to them without their knowledge or against their will.
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
In cases where an act done is not an offence unless done with a particular knowledge or intent, a person who does the act in a state of intoxication shall be liable to be dealt with as if he had the same knowledge as he would have had if he had not been intoxicated, unless the thing which intoxicated him was administered to him without his knowledge or against his will.
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 24
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.