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Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Chapter XVII: Of Offences against Property · Of theft

Section 379: Punishment for theft

The Indian Penal Code, 1860 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024.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.

Now in the BNS section 303 (Theft)

Whoever commits theft shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.

State amendments to this section

Gujarat.— In the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (XLV of 1860), after section 379, the following sections shall be inserted, namely:— 379A. Snatching.—(1) Whoever, with the intention to commit theft, suddenly or quickly or forcibly seizes or secures or grabs or takes away fromany person or from his physical possession any moveable property, and makes or attempt to make escape with such property, is said to commit snatching.

(2) Whoever attempts to commit snatching shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than five years but which may extend to ten years, and with fine which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees.

(3) Whoever commits snatching 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 with fine which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees.

(4) Whoever, after committing or attempting to commit snatching, causes hurt or wrongful restraint of fear of hurt, in order to effect his escape shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, in addition to the punishment provided for the offence of snatching by the preceding sub-sections. 379B.Snatching after preparation made for causing death, hurt or restraint in order to the committing of snatching.—Whoever commits or attempts to commit snatching, having made preparation for causing death, or hurt, or restraint, or fear of death, or of hurt, or of restraint, to any person, in order to the committing of such snatching, or in order to the retaining of property taken by such snatching, 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 with fine which may extend to twenty-five thousand rupees. [Vide Gujarat Act 6 of 2019, s. 2]

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 379