Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Chapter XVI: Of Offences Affecting the Human Body · Of Kidnapping, abduction, slavery and forced labour
Section 366B: Importation of girl from foreign country
The Indian Penal Code, 1860 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. It still applies to offences and proceedings from before that date.
In plain words
Importing into India a girl under twenty-one years of age, intending or knowing it likely that she will be forced or seduced into illicit intercourse with another person, is punishable with imprisonment for up to ten years, and a fine.
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
Whoever imports into [India] from any country outside India [or from the State of Jammu and Kashmir] any girl under the age of twenty-one years with intent that she may be, or knowing it to be likely that she will be, forced or seduced to illicit intercourse with another person, ***shall be punishable with imprisonment 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 (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. 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.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 366B
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.