Indian Penal Code, 1860
Kidnapping or maiming a minor for purposes of begging.—
Section
363A
Punishment
Life Imprisonment or Imprisonment up to Ten Year(s) + Fine
Cognizable
Cognizable
Bailable
Non-bailable
Compoundable
Non-Compoundable (Refer to CrPC 320 for exceptions)
Trial Court
Court of Session
Bare Act Text
363A. Kidnapping or maiming a minor for purposes of begging.—
(1)Whoever kidnaps any minor or, not being the lawful guardian of a minor, obtains the custody of the minor, in order that such minor may be employed or used for the purpose of begging shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.(2)Whoever maims any minor in order that such minor may be employed or used for the purposes of begging shall be punishable with imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.(3)Where any person, not being the lawful guardian of a minor, employs or uses such minor for the purposes of begging, it shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proved, that he kidnapped or otherwise obtained the custody of that minor in order that the minor might be employed or used for the purposes of begging.(4)In this section,—(a)‘begging’ means—(i)soliciting or receiving alms in a public place, whether under the pretence of singing, dancing, fortune-telling, performing tricks or selling articles or otherwise;(ii)entering on any private premises for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms;(iii)exposing or exhibiting, with the object of obtaining or extorting alms, any sore, wound, injury, deformity or disease, whether of himself or of any other person or of an animal;(iv)using a minor as an exhibit for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms;(b)‘minor’ means—(i)in the case of a male, a person under sixteen years of age; and(ii)in the case of a female, a person under eighteen years of age.
What is IPC Section 363A ?
According to the official bare act, this legal offense is defined as: 363A. Kidnapping or maiming a minor for purposes of begging.—
(1)Whoever kidnaps any minor or, not being the lawful guardian of a minor, obtains the custody of the minor, in order that such minor may be employed or used for the purpose of begging shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.(2)Whoever maims any minor in order that such minor may be employed or used for the purposes of begging shall be punishable with imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.(3)Where any person, not being the lawful guardian of a minor, employs or uses such minor for the purposes of begging, it shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proved, that he kidnapped or otherwise obtained the custody of that minor in order that the minor might be employed or used for the purposes of begging.(4)In this section,—(a)‘begging’ means—(i)soliciting or receiving alms in a public place, whether under the pretence of singing, dancing, fortune-telling, performing tricks or selling articles or otherwise;(ii)entering on any private premises for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms;(iii)exposing or exhibiting, with the object of obtaining or extorting alms, any sore, wound, injury, deformity or disease, whether of himself or of any other person or of an animal;(iv)using a minor as an exhibit for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms;(b)‘minor’ means—(i)in the case of a male, a person under sixteen years of age; and(ii)in the case of a female, a person under eighteen years of age.
What is the punishment for Dhara 363A ?
The punishment for this specific offense is outlined under the law as: Life Imprisonment or Imprisonment up to Ten Year(s) + Fine
Is IPC 363A bailable or non-bailable?
Under the Indian Penal Code, this specific offense is classified as a Non-bailable offense.
Is Dhara 363A a cognizable offense?
The legal status regarding police arrest without a warrant is that this offense isCognizable.
Which court has the jurisdiction to try IPC 363A cases?
Cases pertaining to this specific IPC section are triable by the Court of Session.
Can IPC Section 363A be compromised (Compoundable)?
The compoundable nature of this offense, meaning whether the parties can settle it out of court, is classified as: Non-Compoundable (Refer to CrPC 320 for exceptions).
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Pramod is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of StudyHub. He holds a Master's degree and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geology, alongside more than 7+ years spent building and verifying competitive exam content for Indian aspirants. He leads StudyHub's editorial process across Indian Polity, the Constitution, Indian Economy, History, Geography, Science, and the platform's other subject areas — checking every article against primary sources (bare act text and Gazette notifications for constitutional topics, government and Economic Survey data for economy content, standard reference material elsewhere) and flagging it for re-verification whenever a relevant amendment, policy, or data update makes an earlier version outdated.