Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter VI: Of Offences Affecting the Human Body · Of hurt
Section 122: Voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt on provocation
In plain words
Hurt caused on grave and sudden provocation is punished more lightly, provided the offender did not intend or expect to hurt anyone other than the person who provoked them.
- Hurt: up to one month in prison, or a fine up to five thousand rupees, or both.
- Grievous hurt: up to five years in prison, or a fine up to ten thousand rupees, or both.
- Provocation does not count if it was sought out, came from a lawful act or a public servant's lawful act, or from lawful private defence.
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 voluntarily causes hurt on grave and sudden provocation, if he neither intends nor knows himself to be likely to cause hurt to any person other than the person who gave the provocation, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both.
(2) Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt on grave and sudden provocation, if he neither intends nor knows himself to be likely to cause grievous hurt to any person other than the person who gave the provocation, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both.
Explanation.—-This section is subject to the same proviso as Exception 1 of section 101.
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 122
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.