IPC Section 295 — Injuring or defiling place of worship, with intent to insult the religion of any class

Summary

If a person destroys, damages, or makes a place of worship unclean, or does the same to any object that a group of people considers sacred, and they do this either to insult that group’s religion or knowing that the group will likely see it as an insult to their religion, that person can be punished. The punishment can be imprisonment for up to two years, a fine, or both.

Official Text

Whoever destroys, damages or defiles any place of worship, or any object held sacred by any class of persons with the intention of thereby insulting the religion of any class of persons or with the knowledge that any class of persons is likely to consider such destruction, damage or defilement as an insult to their religion, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

Related Judgments

• Upesh Jaywant Patil vs State Of Maharashtra And Anr — Bombay High Court (Mumbai Principal Seat) (2022)
• S. VEERABADRAN CHETTIAR vs E.V. RAMASWAMI NAICKER & OTHERS — Supreme Court of India (1958)
• VINOD DUA vs UNION OF INDIA & ORS — Supreme Court of India (2021)
• KAUSHAL KISHOR vs STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS — Supreme Court of India (2023)
• STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH vs LALAI SINGH YADAV — Supreme Court of India (1976)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• BNS §298 — Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult religion of any class