Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter IV: Of Abetment, Criminal Conspiracy and Attempt
Section 57: Abetting commission of offence by public or by more than ten persons
In plain words
Abetting the public, or any group of more than ten people, to commit an offence is punishable with up to seven years in prison and a fine.
Example: Putting up a poster urging a sect of more than ten members to attack a rival group's procession is this offence.
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
Whoever abets the commission of an offence by the public generally or by any number or class of persons exceeding ten, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years and with fine.
Illustration
A affixes in a public place a placard instigating a sect consisting of more than ten members to meet at a certain time and place, for the purpose of attacking the members of an adverse sect, while engaged in a procession. A has committed the offence defined in this section.
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 57
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Imran Pratapgadhi v. State Of Gujarat and Anr.
Whether on facts, the offences punishable under Sections 196, 197, 299 and 302 of the BNS as alleged, were made out against the appellant, a Member of Rajya Sabha; whether the High Court erred in rejecting the petition…