Under section 84 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, whoever takes or entices away a woman whom he…

Section 84 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (formerly s.498 IPC) punishes whoever takes or entices away any woman who is, and whom he knows or has reason to believe to be, the wife of any other man, with intent that she may have illicit intercourse with any person, or conceals or detains any such woman with that intent, with imprisonment of either description which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

Imprisonment up to seven years and fine is the punishment for bigamy under s.82(1) BNS, and up to ten years and fine applies under s.81 (deceitfully inducing belief of lawful marriage) and s.87 (kidnapping or abducting a woman to compel her marriage). A five-year term was the punishment for adultery, which is no longer an offence after Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018) and is not in the BNS.