Section 117 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023:Voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
Voluntarily causing grievous hurt.Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
(1) Whoever voluntarily causes hurt, if the hurt which he
intends to cause or knows himself to be likely to cause is grievous hurt, and if the hurt which he causes is
grievous hurt, is said “voluntarily to cause grievous hurt”.
Explanation.A person is not said voluntarily to cause grievous hurt except when he both causes
grievous hurt and intends or knows himself to be likely to cause grievous hurt. But he is said voluntarily
to cause grievous hurt, if intending or knowing himself to be likely to cause grievous hurt of one kind, he
actually causes grievous hurt of another kind.Illustration.
A, intending of knowing himself to be likely permanently to disfigure Z’s face, gives Z a blow which
does not permanently disfigure Z’s face, but which causes Z to suffer severe bodily pain for the space of
fifteen days. A has voluntarily caused grievous hurt.
(2) Whoever, except in the case provided for by sub-section (2) of section 122, voluntarily causes
grievous hurt, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to
seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(3) Whoever commits an offence under sub-section (1) and in the course of such commission causes
any hurt to a person which causes that person to be in permanent disability or in persistent vegetative
state, 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.
(4) When a group of five or more persons acting in concert, causes grievous hurt to a person on the
ground of his race, caste or community, sex, place of birth, language, personal belief or any other similar
ground, each member of such group shall be guilty of the offence of causing grievous hurt, and shall be
punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall
also be liable to fine.