Indian Penal Code, 1860
IPC Section 499 in BNS
Defamation. Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Defamation) corresponds to Section 356(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Verify before you rely on this. Renumbering under the 2023 codes is not a clean one-to-one exercise — provisions were merged, split and reworded. Always check the printed bare act.
Where this sits in the exam
This provision is examined under CrPC & Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, IPC & Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, worth 18 of the 100 marks in AIBE XXII. The paper permits bare acts but bans notes, so what matters is finding it quickly, not reciting the number.
Questions that turn on this section
Trial in absentia of a proclaimed offender is now expressly permitted under:
Answer & explanation
Section 356 BNSS
The BNSS introduces trial and judgment in absentia for a proclaimed offender who has absconded to evade trial, where there is no immediate prospect of arrest. This has no direct CrPC equivalent.
Where an accused is a proclaimed offender, trial in absentia is permitted under:
Answer & explanation
Section 356 BNSS, a provision new to the Sanhita
§ 356 BNSS is a genuine innovation of 2023, permitting trial and judgment against an absconder who has been proclaimed.
Defamation is dealt with under:
Answer & explanation
Section 356 BNS
BNS Section 356 corresponds to IPC Section 499 and following. There are ten exceptions, including imputation of truth for the public good and fair comment on the conduct of a public servant.
Sections either side of it
How the neighbouring provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 were renumbered:
| IPC | Provision | BNS |
|---|---|---|
| 477A | Falsification of accounts | 344 |
| 489A | Counterfeiting currency notes or bank notes | 178 |
| 489B | Using as genuine forged or counterfeit currency notes | 179 |
| 500 | Punishment for defamation | 356(2) |
| 501 | Printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory | 356(3) |
| 502 | Sale of printed or engraved substance containing defamatory matter | 356(4) |
Practise it
Cutoff has AIBE XXII questions on this area, each cited to both codes with a line telling you where to find it in the bare act. Ten questions per subject are free, no account needed.
Practise free Full IPC→BNS table