Section 145 punishes habitually importing, exporting, removing, buying, selling, trafficking, or
dealing in slaves, with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description up to ten years,
and fine.
Please note: This page reflects our understanding of the law as of the date it was
last reviewed. Parliament, the State Legislatures, and the courts continue to amend and interpret
this law, and this page may not yet reflect the most recent change. Please verify the current text
of the law independently, and consult a licensed advocate for advice on your own matter, before
relying on this page.
Corresponding Provision Under Prior Law
Verified against the National Crime Records Bureau's official BNS–IPC concordance (Sankalan
Portal), which maps Section 145 to old IPC Section 371, and cross-checked directly against the bare
text of both Acts.
BNS section
IPC, 1860 equivalent
Category
145
371
Exact
Comparing the two texts word for word, Section 145 is reproduced without any change from old IPC
Section 371. Unlike Section 143 (which the concordance maps to the 2013-inserted "trafficking"
version of IPC Section 370), this section corresponds to the same, unchanged 1860 "habitual dealing
in slaves" provision that has always occupied IPC Section 371.
Quick Reference
Per the First Schedule to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023: punishable with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for 10 years and fine (the statute itself: imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description up to ten years, and fine) — cognizable, non-bailable, and triable by the Court of Session.
Statutory Text (Verbatim)
Whoever habitually imports, exports, removes, buys, sells, traffics or deals in slaves, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Source: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 45 of 2023), as published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary.
Explanation & Illustration (Lexovia's Commentary — Not Statutory Text)
The habitual-dealing offence
Explanation (Lexovia's Commentary)
This section punishes the repeated, habitual conduct of importing, exporting, removing, buying,
selling, trafficking, or otherwise dealing in slaves — the word "habitually" signals that this
is aimed at persistent, ongoing conduct rather than an isolated act. It carries a possible sentence of up to imprisonment for life.
Illustration (Lexovia's Own Example)
A, over a period of several years, repeatedly buys and sells persons held in conditions of slavery
as part of an ongoing business. A is liable under Section 145 for habitually dealing in slaves.
Section 143 (Trafficking of person) and Section 144 (Exploitation of a trafficked person). (Shown
as plain references for now; once the site exists these become direct links.)
FAQs
Does a single instance of buying or selling a slave fall under this section?
This section specifically requires "habitual" conduct — a pattern of repeated dealing
— rather than a single isolated transaction, though a single transaction could potentially
fall under other provisions in this Chapter, such as Section 143.
Is this section the same as the trafficking offence in Section 143?
No. This section is the unchanged, original 1860 offence of habitually dealing in slaves,
distinct from Section 143's modern trafficking offence, though the two can overlap in practice.
What is the maximum punishment under this section?
Imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding ten
years, and fine.
Spotted something that looks outdated because of a recent amendment, mismatched, or just a
typographical error? Email us or
message us on Instagram
— it helps us keep this page accurate for everyone who reads it after you.