Act Endangering Life or Personal Safety Under the BNS (Section 125): IPC 336 to 338 Mapping (2026)
What Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita covers, the three tiers of punishment for a rash or negligent act endangering life, and how it rolls up IPC Sections 336, 337 and 338. Last verified October 2026.
Explainer · New Criminal Laws · BNS
Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023 punishes any act done so rashly or negligently that it endangers human life or the personal safety of others. The punishment rises in three steps: a base offence where no one is hurt, a higher tier where hurt is caused, and a still higher tier where grievous hurt is caused. This single section replaced three Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, 336, 337 and 338, and has applied since 1 July 2024. This explainer sets out what Section 125 covers, the exact punishment at each tier, how it is classified, and what changed from the old law. Last verified October 2026.
- What it is: BNS Section 125, a rash or negligent act that endangers human life or the personal safety of others.
- Old law: it consolidated IPC Sections 336, 337 and 338, in force since 1 July 2024.
- Punishment: base up to 3 months or Rs 2,500; hurt up to 6 months or Rs 5,000; grievous hurt up to 3 years or Rs 10,000.
- Key change: three IPC sections merged into one, with higher fines.
01The short answer
Section 125 of the BNS is about danger caused by carelessness, not by intent to harm. A person who acts so rashly or negligently as to put human life or the personal safety of others at risk commits this offence, even if no one is actually injured.
The punishment then depends on the result:
- No hurt caused: the base offence.
- Hurt caused: a higher tier, in clause (a).
- Grievous hurt caused: the highest tier, in clause (b).
It replaced IPC Sections 336, 337 and 338, which drew the same three lines but in three separate sections.
Section 125 of the BNS punishes rash or negligent conduct that endangers others, with the sentence rising according to whether hurt or grievous hurt is caused.
02What the section covers
The core act is doing something so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others. Two ideas carry the section.
Rash or negligent
A rash act is done with awareness that harm may follow, but without caring. A negligent act is done without the care that a reasonable person would take. Either state of mind is enough. Intention to hurt is not required, which is what separates this section from the hurt offences.
Endangering life or safety
The act must create a real risk to life or personal safety. Common examples are careless driving, mishandling a firearm or machinery, or leaving a dangerous thing where others can be hurt. Whether injury follows decides which tier applies.
For the meaning of hurt and grievous hurt used in the higher tiers, see hurt under Section 115 and grievous hurt under Section 117.
03Punishment and classification
The three tiers and their penalties are set out below.
| Result of the act | Punishment under BNS Section 125 |
|---|---|
| Endangering life or safety, no hurt caused | Imprisonment of either description up to three months, or fine up to Rs 2,500, or both. |
| Hurt caused, clause (a) | Imprisonment of either description up to six months, or fine up to Rs 5,000, or both. |
| Grievous hurt caused, clause (b) | Imprisonment of either description up to three years, or fine up to Rs 10,000, or both. |
The lower tiers of this offence are usually treated as bailable and triable by a Magistrate.
04IPC 336 to 338 to BNS 125: what changed
The BNS folded three old sections into one. The thresholds are the same, but the fines are higher.
| Old IPC section | New BNS 125 tier | Main change |
|---|---|---|
| 336 (endangering life or safety, no hurt) | Base offence | Term stays about three months; fine ceiling raised to Rs 2,500. |
| 337 (causing hurt by such act) | Clause (a) | Term stays about six months; fine ceiling raised to Rs 5,000. |
| 338 (causing grievous hurt by such act) | Clause (b) | Maximum term raised to three years; fine ceiling raised to Rs 10,000. |
So the substantive change is consolidation into a single section and higher fines, with the grievous hurt tier also carrying a longer maximum term. For the full old-to-new picture, see our IPC to BNS section converter.
05Practical points
- It often appears with other sections. A road crash, for example, may attract this section alongside rash driving under Section 281 or death by negligence under Section 106.
- Result decides the tier. The same careless act can fall in any of the three tiers depending on whether there was no injury, hurt, or grievous hurt.
- Intent is not the test. If there was an intention to cause harm, the hurt or culpable homicide sections may apply instead.
06Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
A rash or negligent act under Section 125 often rides alongside a driving or negligence charge, so the useful question is how courts have separated the three tiers and where this section has held. Claw lets you search that history across more than 30 crore judgments, from the Supreme Court in 1950 onward and the High Courts from 1990, returning the relevant orders and citations in under five seconds. When the matter is live, you can watch it move, tracking each order and hearing by party or advocate name across 9,102 courts, benches and forums. You can also see how case search works across Indian courts. Claw does not use customer case documents to train AI models.
Open a free Claw account to look up Section 125 rulings and keep your own case on track.
07Sources and further reading
- India Code (official bare Acts): indiacode.nic.in
- Ministry of Home Affairs (new criminal laws): mha.gov.in
- Text of BNS Section 125: devgan.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This explainer is general information, not legal advice. Statute text can change through amendment and notification, so check the current section and take advice from counsel before acting.
08Frequently asked questions
What is Section 125 of the BNS?
Section 125 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 punishes any act done so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life or the personal safety of others. It has a base tier plus two higher tiers where hurt or grievous hurt is caused. It came into force on 1 July 2024.
What is the punishment under BNS Section 125?
The base offence is up to three months imprisonment or a fine up to Rs 2,500. Where hurt is caused, it is up to six months or Rs 5,000. Where grievous hurt is caused, it is up to three years or Rs 10,000. Imprisonment and fine can be combined.
Which IPC sections does BNS 125 replace?
It replaces Sections 336, 337 and 338 of the Indian Penal Code, combining them into one section. IPC 336 was the base, IPC 337 the hurt tier, and IPC 338 the grievous hurt tier.
Is intention needed for this offence?
No. The section is about rash or negligent conduct, not intentional harm. If there was an intention to cause injury, the hurt or culpable homicide sections may apply instead.
Does it apply to road accidents?
It can. A careless act on the road that endangers others can fall under Section 125, and depending on the facts, may be charged with rash driving or death by negligence as well.
Can I find cases under Section 125 in Claw?
Yes. You can pull Section 125 and old IPC 336 to 338 rulings from more than 30 crore judgments in under five seconds, and follow a live matter by party or advocate name across 9,102 courts, benches and forums. A free Claw account lets you do both.