Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — Section 219
Obstructing Sale of Property Offered for Sale by Authority of Public Servant
Section 219 punishes whoever intentionally obstructs a sale of property offered for sale by the
lawful authority of a public servant acting as such, with imprisonment of either description for up
to one month, or fine of up to five thousand rupees, or both.
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 219 to old IPC Section 184, and independently against the text of
Section 184 itself as found in the edition of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 consulted for this book.
| BNS section | IPC, 1860 equivalent | Category |
|---|
| 219 | 184 | Substantively changed |
Substantively changed: the conduct element and imprisonment punishment (up to one
month) are identical to old IPC Section 184. The fine cap has been raised from five hundred rupees
to five thousand rupees.
Quick Reference
Per the First Schedule to the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023: punishable with imprisonment for 1 month, or fine of 5,000 rupees, or both — non-cognizable, bailable, and triable by any Magistrate. Not compoundable: Section 219 appears in neither compounding table of Section 359 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. In the First Schedule, “any Magistrate” does not include Executive Magistrates (Explanatory Note (2)).
Statutory Text (Verbatim)
Whoever intentionally obstructs any sale of property offered for sale by the lawful authority of any public servant, as such, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both.
Source: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 45 of 2023), as published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary.
Intentionally obstructing a sale conducted under a public servant's lawful authority
Explanation (Lexovia's Commentary)
A person who intentionally obstructs a sale of property being conducted by the lawful authority
of a public servant, acting as such, commits this offence.
Illustration (Lexovia's Own Example)
A person deliberately disrupts a public auction being conducted by a revenue officer under
proper lawful authority. This falls within Section 219.
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Related / Cross-Referenced Sections
Section 218 (Resistance to the taking of property by the lawful authority of a public servant);
Section 220 (Illegal purchase or bid for property offered for sale by authority of public servant,
the next section of Chapter XIII). (Shown as plain references for now; once the site exists these
become direct links.)
FAQs
Does the obstruction need to be intentional?
Yes. The section only covers intentional obstruction of the sale, not an accidental
interference.
What is the punishment under this section?
Imprisonment of either description up to one month, or fine up to five thousand rupees, or
both.
What changed compared to the old law?
The fine cap has been raised from five hundred rupees to five thousand rupees. The conduct and
imprisonment cap are unchanged.
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