Assault or Criminal Force to Dishonour a Person Under the BNS (Section 133): IPC 355 Mapping (2026)
What the offence of assault or criminal force to dishonour a person covers, the correct BNS section number (133, not 135), its punishment, and how it maps to IPC Section 355. Last verified October 2026.
Explainer · New Criminal Laws · BNS
Assault or criminal force used with the intent to dishonour a person is an offence under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The correct section number is 133, not 135. It punishes an assault or the use of criminal force done to dishonour someone, where the victim gave no grave and sudden provocation. This offence replaced Section 355 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and has applied since 1 July 2024. This explainer sets out what the offence covers, the correct section number, the punishment, how it is classified, and what changed from the old law. Last verified October 2026.
- What it is: assault or criminal force to dishonour a person, otherwise than on grave and sudden provocation.
- Correct number: BNS Section 133, not 135 (Section 135 is assault in attempt wrongfully to confine).
- Old law: it replaced Section 355 of the IPC, in force since 1 July 2024.
- Punishment: up to 2 years, or fine, or both; non-cognizable and bailable.
01The short answer
The offence of assaulting or using criminal force against a person in order to dishonour that person, otherwise than on grave and sudden provocation, is punished by Section 133 of the BNS. The act must be done with the intention to dishonour.
It replaced Section 355 of the IPC. The wrong is an insult carried out through a physical act, such as slapping, spitting at, or forcibly stripping a mark of respect, done to shame the victim rather than to injure.
Section 133 of the BNS punishes an assault or criminal force meant to dishonour a person, where no grave and sudden provocation was given.
02A note on the section number
There is a common mix-up to clear first. The offence of assault to dishonour, which replaced IPC 355, is Section 133 of the BNS, not Section 135.
Section 135 of the BNS is a different offence: assault or criminal force in an attempt wrongfully to confine a person, which carries imprisonment up to one year, or a fine up to Rs 5,000, or both. If you are looking for the dishonour offence, the correct number is 133.
03What the section covers
Two elements must be present.
An assault or criminal force
There must be an assault or the use of criminal force against the person. For the base meaning of these terms, see criminal force and assault under Section 131.
The intention to dishonour
The act must be done to dishonour, that is, to disgrace or humiliate the victim, not merely to hurt them. This intention is what marks the section out from the ordinary assault provisions. The section also carves out cases of grave and sudden provocation, which are dealt with more leniently elsewhere.
A related situation is an assault on a public servant, which is a separate offence. See assault on a public servant under Section 132.
04Punishment and classification
The punishment is set out below.
| Offence | Punishment under BNS Section 133 |
|---|---|
| Assault or criminal force to dishonour a person, otherwise than on grave and sudden provocation | Imprisonment of either description up to two years, or fine, or both. |
This offence is non-cognizable and bailable, and is triable by any Magistrate. In practice that means the police generally need an order of a Magistrate to investigate, and the accused can seek bail as of right.
05IPC 355 to BNS 133: what changed
Section 133 of the BNS is the direct successor to Section 355 of the IPC. The substance is unchanged.
- Same definition: assault or criminal force to dishonour, otherwise than on grave and sudden provocation.
- Same sentence: imprisonment up to two years, or fine, or both.
- Same classification: non-cognizable, bailable, triable by any Magistrate.
The real change is the renumbering. A charge once framed under IPC 355 now reads as BNS 133. For the full map of old numbers to new, see our IPC to BNS section converter.
06Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
Intent to dishonour is read from the facts, so how other courts have drawn the line between a humiliating act and an ordinary assault, under Section 133 or the old IPC 355, is the kind of thing worth reading before you argue it. Claw lets you search that case law across more than 30 crore judgments, with the Supreme Court held from 1950 and the High Courts from 1990, and a result back in under five seconds. It also tracks a running matter for you, its orders and hearings, across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, by party or by advocate name. Create a free Claw account to look up and follow dishonour-offence cases by party or advocate name. You can also see how case search works across Indian courts. Claw does not use customer case documents to train its AI models.
07Sources and further reading
- India Code (official bare Acts): indiacode.nic.in
- Ministry of Home Affairs (new criminal laws): mha.gov.in
- Text of BNS Section 133: devgan.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This explainer is general information, not legal advice. Statute text can change through amendment and notification, so check the current section and take advice from counsel before acting.
08Frequently asked questions
Which BNS section covers assault to dishonour a person?
It is Section 133 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, not Section 135. Section 133 punishes assault or criminal force used to dishonour a person, otherwise than on grave and sudden provocation. It replaced IPC Section 355.
What is the punishment under BNS Section 133?
Imprisonment of either description up to two years, or a fine, or both. The offence is non-cognizable and bailable, and triable by any Magistrate.
What is BNS Section 135 then?
Section 135 of the BNS is a different offence: assault or criminal force in an attempt wrongfully to confine a person. It carries imprisonment up to one year, or a fine up to Rs 5,000, or both.
Which IPC section does the dishonour offence replace?
It replaces Section 355 of the Indian Penal Code. The definition, sentence and classification are substantially the same, so the main change is the new number, 133.
What does intention to dishonour mean?
It means the act was done to disgrace or humiliate the victim, not merely to hurt them. That intention is what separates this offence from an ordinary assault.
Can I find cases on assault to dishonour in Claw?
Yes. Claw searches more than 30 crore judgments for rulings under Section 133 of the BNS or the old IPC 355, and follows a live matter through its orders and hearings across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, by party or advocate name, in a few seconds.