Last Updated: April 2026
Property offences form Chapter XVII of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, spanning Sections 301 to 334. Across the last three years of state judiciary preliminary papers (2024–2026), questions on theft, robbery, dacoity, and cheating have averaged 9 of every 100 BNS questions — second only to offences against the human body. With BNS replacing the IPC from 1 July 2024, the bns offences against property 2027 chapter is no longer optional reading; it is the most asked, most renumbered, and most easily traps section bank for any judiciary aspirant. This guide gives you the full section map, IPC equivalents, the punishment table examiners actually test, and a 10-MCQ quiz at the end.
The Architecture of Chapter XVII (BNS 2023)
Sections 301–334 of the BNS group property offences in seven thematic blocks. This is what a judiciary aspirant must internalise before reading bare-act language:
| Block | Sections (BNS) | IPC Equivalent | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Theft | 303–307 | 378–382 | Definition + aggravated forms (dwelling-house, after-preparation, by clerk) |
| Extortion | 308 | 383–389 | Putting in fear → delivery |
| Robbery and Dacoity | 309–313 | 390–402 | Robbery, dacoity, with attempt to cause death/grievous hurt |
| Criminal Misappropriation | 314–315 | 403–404 | Dishonest misappropriation; misappropriation of property of dead person |
| Criminal Breach of Trust | 316–317 | 405–409 | By carrier/clerk/banker/public servant |
| Cheating | 318–320 | 415–420 | Cheating; by personation; with knowledge of dishonest inducement |
| Mischief and Trespass | 324–334 | 425–462 | Mischief by fire/explosive; criminal trespass; house-breaking |
Note on numbering: the BNS bare-act ranges are 301–334; the operative offence sections start at 303 (Theft). Sections 301 and 302 are definitional/grouping. Always cite from the official BNS PDF when answering Mains.
Section-Wise Punishment Table (Mandatory Memorisation)
| BNS Section | Offence | Imprisonment | Fine | IPC Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 303(2) | Theft | Up to 3 years OR fine OR both; community service for thefts under ₹5,000 with first-time offender | Yes | 378/379 |
| 304 | Snatching | Up to 3 years | Yes | (New offence; partly read into 379A IPC) |
| 305 | Theft in dwelling-house etc. | Up to 7 years | Yes | 380 |
| 306 | Theft by clerk/servant | Up to 7 years | Yes | 381 |
| 307 | Theft after preparation for causing death/hurt | Rigorous up to 10 years | Yes | 382 |
| 308(2) | Extortion | Up to 7 years | Yes | 384 |
| 308(3) | Putting person in fear of injury for extortion | Up to 2 years OR fine | Yes | 385 |
| 309(4) | Robbery | Rigorous up to 10 years; 14 yrs if on highway between sunset and sunrise | Yes | 392 |
| 310(2) | Dacoity | Imprisonment for life OR rigorous up to 10 years | Yes | 395 |
| 310(3) | Dacoity with murder | Death OR life OR rigorous 10 years | Yes | 396 |
| 311 | Robbery / dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt | Rigorous min 7 years, up to life | Yes | 397 |
| 312 | Belonging to gang of robbers | Rigorous up to 7 years | Yes | 401 |
| 313 | Belonging to gang of dacoits | Imprisonment for life OR rigorous 10 years | Yes | 400 |
| 314 | Dishonest misappropriation | Up to 2 years OR fine OR both | Yes | 403 |
| 315 | Misappropriation of property of deceased | Up to 3 years | Yes | 404 |
| 316(2) | Criminal breach of trust (CBT) | Up to 5 years | Yes | 406 |
| 316(3) | CBT by carrier | Up to 7 years | Yes | 407 |
| 316(4) | CBT by clerk/servant | Up to 7 years | Yes | 408 |
| 316(5) | CBT by public servant/banker/agent | Imprisonment for life OR up to 10 years | Yes | 409 |
| 318(2) | Cheating | Up to 3 years | Yes | 417 |
| 318(3) | Cheating with knowledge of wrongful loss to a person whose interest the cheater is bound to protect | Up to 5 years | Yes | 418 |
| 318(4) | Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property | Up to 7 years | Yes | 420 |
| 319(2) | Cheating by personation | Up to 5 years | Yes | 419 |
| 320(2) | Fraudulent deeds and dispositions of property | Up to 3 years | Yes | 421 |
| 324(2) | Mischief — basic | Up to 6 months OR fine OR both | Yes | 426 |
| 324(4) | Mischief causing damage of ₹20,000+ | Up to 2 years | Yes | 427 |
| 326(f) | Mischief by fire/explosive on building | Imprisonment for life OR rigorous 10 years | Yes | 436 |
| 329(3) | Criminal trespass | Up to 3 months OR fine ₹5,000 | Yes | 447 |
| 331(2) | House-trespass | Up to 1 year | Yes | 448 |
| 331(4) | House-breaking by night | Up to 3 years | Yes | 456 |
| 331(5) | House-trespass to commit offence punishable with death | Imprisonment for life OR rigorous 10 years | Yes | 449 |
What Changed from IPC — The 5 Most-Tested Shifts
- Snatching is now a standalone offence (Section 304). IPC had no dedicated section; courts relied on Section 379 (theft) read with the Theft + Force triggers of Section 390 (robbery). BNS now codifies snatching with up to 3 years.
- Community service for petty theft (Section 303(2) proviso). First-time offender, value below ₹5,000 — court may impose community service in lieu of imprisonment. This is one of the four offences (small theft, defamation, attempt to suicide post-decriminalisation discussion, public servant non-attendance) where BNS introduces community service.
- Robbery on highway between sunset and sunrise — separately punishable up to 14 years (Section 309). IPC 392 carried only the basic 10-year max; the time-and-place aggravator is more visible in BNS.
- Cheating — basic punishment is now 3 years (Section 318(2)). The IPC version was 1 year (Section 417). This is a frequent MCQ trap.
- Mischief threshold of ₹20,000 (Section 324(4)). Replaces the IPC test of “any amount of damage” + judicial discretion; now bright-line by value.
Key Definitions to Lock Down (Cited Verbatim)
Section 303 — Theft
“Whoever, intending to take dishonestly any movable property out of the possession of any person without that person’s consent, moves that property in order to such taking, is said to commit theft.”
Five ingredients: (i) dishonest intention; (ii) movable property; (iii) out of possession of another; (iv) without consent; (v) moving the property.
Section 308 — Extortion
“Whoever intentionally puts any person in fear of any injury… and thereby dishonestly induces the person… to deliver to any person any property… is said to commit extortion.”
Distinguishing feature from theft: Delivery in extortion is by the victim under fear; in theft, taking is without the victim’s knowledge or consent.
Section 309 — Robbery
Theft is robbery if, in order to commit theft / in committing theft / in carrying away the property obtained by theft, the offender, for that end, voluntarily causes or attempts to cause to any person death, hurt, or wrongful restraint, or fear of any of these.
Section 310 — Dacoity
“When five or more persons conjointly commit or attempt to commit a robbery…” — the magic number is five. Four = robbery. Five = dacoity. The minimum is the most-tested fact.
Section 318 — Cheating
“Whoever, by deceiving any person, fraudulently or dishonestly induces the person so deceived to deliver any property to any person, or to consent that any person shall retain any property, or intentionally induces the person so deceived to do or omit to do anything which he would not do or omit if he were not so deceived…”
Two limbs: property limb (fraud/dishonest deception → delivery/retention) and inducement limb (deception → act/omission).
Landmark Case Law for the Mains
- Pyare Lal Bhargava v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 1963 SC 1094 — even temporary deprivation of property amounts to “dishonestly” if the act causes wrongful loss; foundational for both theft and CBT under BNS.
- K.N. Mehra v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 1957 SC 369 — joyriding an aircraft constituted theft; “dishonest intention” can exist without permanent appropriation. Continues to govern Section 303 BNS.
- State of Maharashtra v. Vishwanath Tukaram Umale, (1979) 4 SCC 23 — clarifies “in order to commit robbery” and the proximity test under Section 309 BNS / 392 IPC.
- Ram Chand v. State of UP, (1957) AIR SC 381 — five-or-more requirement for dacoity (Section 310 BNS / 395 IPC) is mandatory.
- Hridaya Ranjan Prasad Verma v. State of Bihar, (2000) 4 SCC 168 — the distinction between mere breach of contract and cheating (Section 318 BNS / 420 IPC) — dishonest intention must exist at the time of inducement.
- Sushil Kumar Datta v. State of W.B., AIR 1985 SC 1416 — section 318(4) BNS / 420 IPC: actus reus completed even if no actual loss to victim, provided inducement and delivery are established.
Differentiating the Frequently-Confused Offences
| Pair | Distinguishing Test |
|---|---|
| Theft (303) v. Extortion (308) | Theft = no consent, no force, no fear. Extortion = consent under fear. |
| Extortion (308) v. Robbery (309) | Robbery requires actual / threatened death, hurt or wrongful restraint, present and immediate. Extortion can involve future fear. |
| Robbery (309) v. Dacoity (310) | Number of offenders ≥ 5 = dacoity. Less = robbery. |
| Misappropriation (314) v. CBT (316) | CBT requires entrustment with property + dishonest dealing. Misappropriation requires only dishonest dealing of property already with offender (came lawfully into possession). |
| Cheating (318) v. CBT (316) | Cheating = dishonest intention at the time of inducement. CBT = dishonest intention after entrustment. |
| Cheating (318) v. Forgery (336) | Cheating = deception of person. Forgery = false document made / altered. |
| Mischief (324) v. Criminal Trespass (329) | Mischief = causing wrongful loss/damage to property. Trespass = entry on property with criminal intent. |
How This Chapter Is Tested in 2027
- Prelims: direct section-to-offence mapping; community-service triggers; minimum number for dacoity; five ingredients of theft; aggravator section numbers (305, 306, 307).
- Mains: 10-mark essay-type — “Distinguish theft, extortion and robbery”; “Examine the new offence of snatching under BNS”; “Cheating versus criminal breach of trust — illustrate with case law”.
- Mains case-style problems: 4–6 problem questions with facts; you must identify offence + cite BNS section + IPC equivalent + applicable case law.
- Interview: “Why did BNS introduce community service?” — link to over-incarceration data + restorative justice principles.
For chapter-wise BNS notes and 100-MCQ quizzes per chapter, see Judiciary Gurukul Free Resources and the 2027 preparation hub.
30-Day Plan to Master Property Offences
| Day | Focus | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Read bare BNS Sections 301–315 with marginal notes | One-page summary card |
| 4–6 | BNS 316–320 + IPC equivalents | Comparison table |
| 7–8 | BNS 321–334; mischief and trespass | Illustrations table |
| 9–11 | Landmark case law (Pyare Lal, K.N. Mehra, Hridaya Ranjan) | Case-card stack |
| 12–14 | Practice 60 prelims MCQs (chapter-only) | Score > 75% |
| 15–17 | Distinguishing pairs (theft v. extortion etc.) | Self-test |
| 18–20 | Mains-style problem questions | 10 problem solutions |
| 21–24 | Section-numbering speed drill | 30 sec / question |
| 25–27 | BNS-to-IPC reverse mapping drill | Quick recall |
| 28–30 | Diagnostic mock + revision | Score-sheet + gap list |
Want full classroom-style coverage with weekly mocks and graded answer-writing? Browse the structured 2027 plan at Judiciary Gurukul Courses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Is the BNS already in force for judiciary exam questions in 2027?
Yes. BNS came into force on 1 July 2024. State PCS-J papers from 2025 onwards have been examining BNS section numbers; the IPC is now treated as historic comparison.
Q. Should I memorise BNS sections or IPC sections?
Both — but answer in BNS first, then add the IPC equivalent in brackets. Examiners reward the BNS-first phrasing; old textbook IPC numbers will not earn full marks alone.
Q. What is the minimum number of persons required for dacoity under BNS?
Five or more, as under IPC Section 391. BNS Section 310 retains this threshold verbatim.
Q. Is snatching now a separate offence under BNS?
Yes. Section 304 BNS codifies snatching independently of theft and robbery — punishable up to 3 years.
Q. What is the punishment threshold for “mischief” under BNS now?
Basic mischief (Section 324(2)) — up to 6 months. Mischief causing damage of ₹20,000 or more (Section 324(4)) — up to 2 years.
Q. Does BNS introduce community service for property offences?
Yes — Section 303(2) proviso allows community service for first-time theft of value below ₹5,000.
10-Question Diagnostic Quiz
Practice Quiz — 10 Judiciary Exam-Style Questions
Click an option to reveal the answer and explanation.
Closing — From Sections to Mastery
Property offences are the chapter where examiners can crisp-test you on numbers (sections + punishment limits) and nuance (theft v. extortion, cheating v. CBT). Master both axes and you have one of the highest-yield BNS chapters locked. Drill the table, attack the quiz, and re-revise on Day 30.
Walk through every BNS chapter in the same depth in the Judiciary 2027 Foundation programme — daily mains answer writing, weekly mocks, and chapter-end MCQ banks. Begin at judiciarygurukul.com/courses.
