Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter V: Of Offences against Woman and Child · Of offences relating to marriage
Section 87: Kidnapping, abducting or inducing woman to compel her marriage, etc
In plain words
Kidnapping or abducting a woman to force her to marry someone against her will, or to force or seduce her into illicit intercourse, is punishable with up to ten years in prison and a fine.
- The same punishment applies to anyone who uses criminal intimidation, abuse of authority or other compulsion to make a woman go somewhere so she can be forced or seduced into illicit intercourse with another person.
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 kidnaps or abducts any woman with intent that she may be compelled, or knowing it to be likely that she will be compelled, to marry any person against her will, or in order that she may be forced or seduced to illicit intercourse, or knowing it to be likely that she will be forced or seduced to illicit intercourse, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine; and whoever, by means of criminal intimidation as defined in this Sanhita or of abuse of authority or any other method of compulsion, induces any woman to go from any place with intent that she may be, or knowing that it is likely that she will be, forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person shall also be punishable as aforesaid.
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 87
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.