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Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter VI: Of Offences Affecting the Human Body · Of hurt

Section 118: Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means

Earlier law: IPC section 324, section 326

In plain words

Voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon or means is punished more severely. This includes weapons for shooting, stabbing or cutting, fire, poison, corrosives, explosives, harmful substances or animals.

  • Hurt by such means: up to three years in prison, or a fine up to twenty thousand rupees, or both.
  • Grievous hurt by such means: imprisonment for life, or at least one year and up to ten years, and a fine.
  • Cases of grave and sudden provocation are dealt with under section 122.

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

(1) Whoever, except in the case provided for by sub-section (1) of section 122, voluntarily causes hurt by means of any instrument for shooting, stabbing or cutting, or any instrument which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, or by means of fire or any heated substance, or by means of any poison or any corrosive substance, or by means of any explosive substance, or by means of any substance which it is deleterious to the human body to inhale, to swallow, or to receive into the blood, or by means of any animal, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine which may extend to twenty thousand rupees, or with both.

(2) Whoever, except in the case provided for by sub-section (2) of section 122, voluntarily causes grievous hurt by any means referred to in sub-section (1), shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

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 25 August 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 118