Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter IX: Security for Keeping the Peace and for Good Behaviour
Section 129: Security for good behaviour from habitual offenders
In plain words
An Executive Magistrate can ask a habitual offender to show cause why they should not sign a bail bond for good behaviour for up to three years.
- This covers habitual robbers, house-breakers, thieves, forgers and receivers of stolen property, and those who harbour thieves.
- It covers habitual kidnapping, extortion, cheating, mischief, counterfeiting or breach of the peace.
- It covers habitual offences under laws on drugs, foreigners, provident fund, essential commodities, civil rights, customs, food safety, hoarding, adulteration or corruption.
- It covers anyone so desperate and dangerous that leaving them at large without security endangers the community.
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
When an Executive Magistrate receives information that there is within his local jurisdiction a person who—-
(a) is by habit a robber, house-breaker, thief, or forger; or
(b) is by habit a receiver of stolen property knowing the same to have been stolen; or
(c) habitually protects or harbours thieves, or aids in the concealment or disposal of stolen property; or
(d) habitually commits, or attempts to commit, or abets the commission of, the offence of kidnapping, abduction, extortion, cheating or mischief, or any offence punishable under Chapter X of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, or under section 178, section 179, section 180 or section 181 of that Sanhita; or
(e) habitually commits, or attempts to commit, or abets the commission of, offences, involving a breach of the peace; or
(f) habitually commits, or attempts to commit, or abets the commission of—-
(i) any offence under one or more of the following Acts, namely:—-
(a) the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940.);
(b) the Foreigners Act, 1946 (31 of 1946);
(c) the Employees' Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (19 of 1952);
(d) the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (10 of 1955);
(e) the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955 (22 of 1955);
(f) the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962);
(g) the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (34 of 2006); or
(ii) any offence punishable under any other law providing for the prevention of hoarding or profiteering or of adulteration of food or drugs or of corruption; or
(g) is so desperate and dangerous as to render his being at large without security hazardous to the community,
such Magistrate may, in the manner hereinafter provided, require such person to show cause why he should not be ordered to execute a bail bond, for his good behaviour for such period, not exceeding three years, as the Magistrate thinks fit.
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 12 September 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 129
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.