BNS Section 326 — Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc

Summary

Clause (a) covers mischief by doing any act that reduces the supply of water used for agriculture, for food or drink for people, for animals that are property, for cleanliness, or for running any manufacture. The punishment is imprisonment of either kind for up to five years, or a fine, or both.

Clause (b) covers mischief by doing any act that makes any public road, bridge, navigable river or navigable channel (natural or artificial) impassable or less safe for travel or for carrying property. The punishment is imprisonment of either kind for up to five years, or a fine, or both.

Clause (c) covers mischief by doing any act that causes, or is known to be likely to cause, a flood (inundation) or an obstruction to any public drainage that results in injury or damage. The punishment is imprisonment of either kind for up to five years, or a fine, or both.

Clause (d) covers mischief by destroying or moving any sign or signal used for navigation of rail, aircraft, or ship, or any other thing placed as a guide for navigators, or by any act that makes such a sign or signal less useful as a guide. The punishment is imprisonment of either kind for up to seven years, or a fine, or both.

Clause (e) covers mischief by destroying or moving any land-mark fixed by the authority of a public servant, or by any act that makes such a land-mark less useful as a land-mark. The punishment is imprisonment of either kind for up to one year, or a fine, or both.

Clause (f) covers mischief by using fire or any explosive substance with the intention, or knowledge that it is likely, to cause damage to any property, including agricultural produce. The punishment is imprisonment of either kind for up to seven years, and the person shall also be liable to a fine.

Clause (g) covers mischief by using fire or any explosive substance with the intention, or knowledge that it is likely, to cause the destruction of any building ordinarily used as a place of worship, as a human dwelling, or as a place for the custody of property. The punishment is imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either kind for up to ten years, and the person shall also be liable to a fine.

Official Text

Whoever commits mischief by,—

(a) doing any act which causes, or which he knows to be likely to cause, a diminution of the supply of water for agricultural purposes, or for food or drink for human beings or for animals which are property, or for cleanliness or for carrying on any manufacture, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both;

(b) doing any act which renders or which he knows to be likely to render any public road, bridge, navigable river or navigable channel, natural or artificial, impassable or less safe for travelling or conveying property, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both;

(c) doing any act which causes or which he knows to be likely to cause an inundation or an obstruction to any public drainage attended with injury or damage, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both;

(d) destroying or moving any sign or signal used for navigation of rail, aircraft or ship or other thing placed as a guide for navigators, or by any act which renders any such sign or signal less useful as a guide for navigators, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both;

(e) destroying or moving any land-mark fixed by the authority of a public servant, or by any act which renders such land-mark less useful as such, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both;

(f) fire or any explosive substance intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, damage to any property including agricultural produce, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine;

(g) fire or any explosive substance, intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, the destruction of any building which is ordinarily used as a place of worship or as a human dwelling or as a place for the custody of property, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

Related Judgments

• SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1309 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.11 p.291 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.6 p.280 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• CRL A(MD)/262/2016 — Madras High Court ()
• SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1531 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2024) Vol.8 p.670 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
• SC (2024) Vol.6 p.129 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
• SC (2025) Vol.4 p.2730 — Supreme Court of India (2025)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• IPC §430 — Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc
• IPC §431 — Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc
• IPC §432 — Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc
• IPC §433 — Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc
• IPC §434 — Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc
• IPC §435 — Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc
• IPC §436 — Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc