Section 377: Limitation of time for prosecution

No person shall be liable to punishment for any offence against this Act or any rule, regulation or bye-law made thereunder, unless complaint of such offence is made before a municipal magistrate within six months next after—

(a) the date of the commission of the offence; or

(b) the date on which the commission or existence of such offence was first brought to the notice of the complainant.

Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 14 October 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 377

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