Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Chapter IXA: Of Offences Relating to Elections
Section 171F: Punishment for undue influence or personation at an election
The Indian Penal Code, 1860 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. It still applies to offences and proceedings from before that date.
In plain words
Undue influence or personation at an election is punishable with imprisonment of either description for up to one year, or fine, or both.
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 commits the offence of undue influence or personation at an election shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year or with fine, or with both.
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 (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. 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.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 171F
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Manchu Mohan Babu v. State of Andhra Pradesh & Another
Issue arose as to whether the criminal proceedings against the appellants for conducting rally and dharna against the State Government, allegedly causing obstruction to the free flow of traffic, inconvenience, annoyance…
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Afjal Ansari v. State of UP
What are the parameters to be considered for the suspension of conviction u/s. 389(1) CrPC; whether the appellant has made out a prima facie case for the suspension of conviction u/s. 389(1) CrPC; and whether conviction…
- Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India