Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XXXVI: Disposal of Property
Section 499: Payment to innocent purchaser of money found on accused
In plain words
When someone is convicted of theft or receiving stolen property, and an innocent buyer paid them for it, the court can, on the buyer's application and once the property is returned to its owner, order that money taken from the convict on arrest be paid to the buyer, up to the price paid, within six months.
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 any person is convicted of any offence which includes, or amounts to, theft or receiving stolen property, and it is proved that any other person bought the stolen property from him without knowing or having reason to believe that the same was stolen, and that any money has on his arrest been taken out of the possession of the convicted person, the Court may, on the application of such purchaser and on the restitution of the stolen property to the person entitled to the possession thereof, order that out of such money a sum not exceeding the price paid by such purchaser be delivered to him within six months from the date of such order.
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 499
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.