Section 64 BNS: Punishment for rape

Section 64: Punishment for rape

(1) Whoever, except in the cases provided for in sub-section (2), commits rape, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment of either description for a term which shall not be less than ten years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.

(2) Whoever,—

(a) being a police officer, commits rape,—

(i) within the limits of the police station to which such police officer is appointed; or

(ii) in the premises of any station house; or

(iii) on a woman in such police officer’s custody or in the custody of a police officer subordinate to such police officer; or

(b) being a public servant, commits rape on a woman in such public servant’s custody or in the custody of a public servant subordinate to such public servant; or

(c) being a member of the armed forces deployed in an area by the Central Government or a State Government commits rape in such area; or

(d) being on the management or on the staff of a jail, remand home or other place of custody established by or under any law for the time being in force or of a women’s or children’s institution, commits rape on any inmate of such jail, remand home, place or institution; or

(e) being on the management or on the staff of a hospital, commits rape on a woman in that hospital; or

(f) being a relative, guardian or teacher of, or a person in a position of trust or authority towards the woman, commits rape on such woman; or

(g) commits rape during communal or sectarian violence; or

(h) commits rape on a woman knowing her to be pregnant; or

(i) commits rape, on a woman incapable of giving consent; or

(j) being in a position of control or dominance over a woman, commits rape on such woman; or

(k) commits rape on a woman suffering from mental or physical disability; or

(l) while committing rape causes grievous bodily harm or maims or disfigures or endangers the life of a woman; or

(m) commits rape repeatedly on the same woman,

shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten years, but which may extend to imprisonment for life, which shall mean imprisonment for the remainder of that person’s natural life, and shall also be liable to fine.

Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section,—

(a) “armed forces” means the naval, army and air forces and includes any member of the Armed Forces constituted under any law for the time being in force, including the paramilitary forces and any auxiliary forces that are under the control of the Central Government or the State Government;

(b) “hospital” means the precincts of the hospital and includes the precincts of any institution for the reception and treatment of persons during convalescence or of persons requiring medical attention or rehabilitation;

(c) “police officer” shall have the same meaning as assigned to the expression “police” under the Police Act, 1861 (5 of 1861);

(d) “women’s or children’s institution” means an institution, whether called an orphanage or a home for neglected women or children or a widow’s home or an institution called by any other name, which is established and maintained for the reception and care of women or children.

Corresponding IPC provision

As given in the correspondence table of the National Crime Records Bureau (Ministry of Home Affairs). Read both texts before relying on it. NCRB table

64	376. Punishment for rape.

Questions on this section

19 questions in 73 of our papers cite Section 64. Try these from the free papers:

1. Consider the following cases of rape: 1. Rape committed by a person on the staff of a hospital on a woman in that hospital. 2. Rape committed on a woman knowing her to be pregnant. 3. Rape committed repeatedly on the same woman. 4. Rape committed during communal or sectarian violence. Which of the above are listed as aggravated cases in Section 64(2) of the BNS?
2. Under the proviso to Section 149 of the BSA, in a prosecution for an offence under any of Sections 64 to 71 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, or an attempt to commit such an offence, where the question of consent is in issue, it is not permissible to put questions in the cross-examination of the victim as to:
3. Consider the following statements: 1. Section 48 of the BSA, which makes evidence of the character or previous sexual experience of the victim irrelevant on the issue of consent, applies to prosecutions under Sections 64 to 71 and also Sections 74 to 78 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. 2. The proviso to Section 149 of the BSA, which bars questions in the cross-examination of the victim as to general immoral character or previous sexual experience, applies to prosecutions under Sections 64 to 71 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. 3. Each of these provisions also applies to a prosecution for an attempt to commit any of the offences it lists. Which of the statements given above are correct?