BNS Section 220 — Illegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public servant

Summary

Whoever, at a sale of property held under the lawful authority of a public servant, buys or bids for any property on behalf of a person—whether that person is himself or someone else—whom he knows to be legally incapable of purchasing that property at that sale, commits an offence. The same applies if he bids for such property without intending to fulfil the obligations that the bid places on him. The punishment for this offence is imprisonment of either kind for up to one month, or a fine of up to two hundred rupees, or both.

Official Text

Whoever, at any sale of property held by the lawful authority of a public servant, as such, purchases or bids for any property on account of any person, whether himself or any other, whom he knows to be under a legal incapacity to purchase that property at that sale, or bids for such property not intending to perform the obligations under which he lays himself by such bidding, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both.

Related Judgments

• SC (2025) Vol.11 p.291 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1309 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1531 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.6 p.280 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2024) Vol.8 p.670 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
• SC (2025) Vol.7 p.105 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.9 p.283 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2024) Vol.6 p.129 — Supreme Court of India (2024)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• IPC §185 — Illegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public servant