Section 189 BNS: Unlawful Assembly – Complete Explanation, Punishment and Legal Position
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 का Section 189 “unlawful assembly” की statutory definition तथा उससे जुड़े विभिन्न offences को निर्धारित करता है।
इस Section में केवल assembly के member होने को ही नहीं, बल्कि deadly weapon के साथ joining, dispersal order के बाद assembly में बने रहना, hiring, harbouring तथा hired persons के armed होने तक के अलग-अलग conduct को cover किया गया है।
Statutory Provision
**“189. (1) An assembly of five or more persons is designated an “unlawful assembly”, if the common object of the persons composing that assembly is—
(a) to overawe by criminal force, or show of criminal force, the Central Government or any State Government or Parliament or the Legislature of any State, or any public servant in the exercise of the lawful power of such public servant; or
(b) to resist the execution of any law, or of any legal process; or
(c) to commit any mischief or criminal trespass, or other offence; or
(d) by means of criminal force, or show of criminal force, to any person, to take or obtain possession of any property, or to deprive any person of the enjoyment of a right of way, or of the use of water or other incorporeal right of which he is in possession or enjoyment, or to enforce any right or supposed right; or
(e) by means of criminal force, or show of criminal force, to compel any person to do what he is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do what he is legally entitled to do.Explanation.—An assembly which was not unlawful when it assembled, may subsequently become an unlawful assembly.
(2) Whoever, being aware of facts which render any assembly an unlawful assembly, intentionally joins that assembly, or continues in it, is said to be a member of an unlawful assembly and such member shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
(3) Whoever joins or continues in an unlawful assembly, knowing that such unlawful assembly has been commanded in the manner prescribed by law to disperse, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
(4) Whoever, being armed with any deadly weapon, or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause death, is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
(5) Whoever knowingly joins or continues in any assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace, after such assembly has been lawfully commanded to disperse, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
Explanation.—If the assembly is an unlawful assembly within the meaning of sub-section (1), the offender shall be punishable under sub-section (3).
(6) Whoever hires or engages, or employs, or promotes, or connives at the hiring, engagement or employment of any person to join or become a member of any unlawful assembly, shall be punishable as a member of such unlawful assembly, and for any offence which may be committed by any such person as a member of such unlawful assembly in pursuance of such hiring, engagement or employment, in the same manner as if he had been a member of such unlawful assembly, or himself had committed such offence.
(7) Whoever harbours, receives or assembles, in any house or premises in his occupation or charge, or under his control any persons knowing that such persons have been hired, engaged or employed, or are about to be hired, engaged or employed, to join or become members of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
(8) Whoever is engaged, or hired, or offers or attempts to be hired or engaged, to do or assist in doing any of the acts specified in sub-section (1), shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
(9) Whoever, being so engaged or hired as referred to in sub-section (8), goes armed, or engages or offers to go armed, with any deadly weapon or with anything which used as a weapon of offence is likely to cause death, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.”**
Section 189, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Meaning of Unlawful Assembly
Section 189(1) के अनुसार five or more persons की assembly unlawful assembly तब बनती है जब उस assembly के members का common object statutory clauses (a) से (e) में दिए गए किसी object में से हो।
इसलिए केवल पाँच या उससे अधिक लोगों का एक स्थान पर होना unlawful assembly नहीं है।
दो elements को साथ पढ़ना आवश्यक है:
Five or more persons + Statutory common object
Section 189(1)
Five or More Persons
Section 189(1) का पहला numerical requirement है:
“five or more persons”
अर्थात unlawful assembly की statutory foundation कम-से-कम पाँच व्यक्तियों की assembly है।
लेकिन केवल संख्या पाँच होना पर्याप्त नहीं है। उनके common object का Section 189(1)(a)–(e) में से किसी statutory object से correspond करना आवश्यक है।
Common Object
Section 189 में common object अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण concept है।
यह common object निम्न statutory purposes में से किसी एक से संबंधित होना चाहिए।
Overawing Government or Public Servant
यदि पाँच या अधिक persons का common object criminal force या criminal force के show द्वारा—
Central Government,
State Government,
Parliament,
State Legislature, या
किसी public servant को उसकी lawful power exercise करते समय overawe करना
है, तो assembly unlawful assembly हो सकती है।
Section 189(1)(a)
Resisting Law or Legal Process
यदि assembly का common object किसी—
law के execution को resist करना, या
legal process को resist करना
है, तो Section 189(1)(b) लागू हो सकता है।
Section 189(1)(b)
Committing an Offence
Section 189(1)(c) के अंतर्गत common object हो सकता है:
mischief commit करना;
criminal trespass commit करना; या
कोई अन्य offence commit करना।
इस clause का scope comparatively broad है क्योंकि इसमें “other offence” भी शामिल है।
Section 189(1)(c)
Obtaining Possession or Enforcing Rights by Criminal Force
Section 189(1)(d) में criminal force या criminal force के show द्वारा—
property का possession लेना या obtain करना;
किसी व्यक्ति को right of way के enjoyment से deprive करना;
water के use से deprive करना;
किसी other incorporeal right के enjoyment से deprive करना; या
किसी right या supposed right को enforce करना
common object हो सकता है।
Section 189(1)(d)
Compelling a Person by Criminal Force
Section 189(1)(e) के अंतर्गत यदि common object criminal force या उसके show द्वारा किसी व्यक्ति को—
ऐसा करने के लिए compel करना जिसे वह legally bound नहीं है; या
ऐसा न करने के लिए compel करना जिसे वह legally entitled है,
तो assembly unlawful हो सकती है।
Section 189(1)(e)
Assembly Can Subsequently Become Unlawful
Section 189 की Explanation एक महत्वपूर्ण principle देती है:
“An assembly which was not unlawful when it assembled, may subsequently become an unlawful assembly.”
इसका अर्थ है कि assembly का character केवल उस समय निर्धारित नहीं होगा जब लोग initially gather हुए थे।
यदि बाद में circumstances या common object statutory conditions के अनुरूप हो जाता है, तो जो assembly शुरुआत में unlawful नहीं थी, वह बाद में unlawful assembly बन सकती है।
Section 189(1), Explanation
Section 189(2): Being a Member
Section 189(2) उस व्यक्ति को punish करता है जो:
assembly को unlawful बनाने वाले facts से aware है;
फिर भी intentionally उस assembly में join करता है; या
उसमें continue करता है।
Punishment:
Up to 6 months imprisonment, or fine, or both.
Section 189(2)
Essential Ingredients
| Ingredient | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Assembly | Unlawful assembly |
| Knowledge | Person aware of facts making assembly unlawful |
| Conduct | Intentionally joins or continues |
| Punishment | Up to 6 months / fine / both |
Section 189(3): Dispersal Order के बाद Joining or Continuing
यदि कोई व्यक्ति unlawful assembly में—
join करता है, या
continue करता है,
और उसे knowledge है कि assembly को law के prescribed manner में disperse करने का command दिया गया है, तो Section 189(3) लागू होता है।
Punishment:
Up to 2 years imprisonment, or fine, or both.
Section 189(3)
Section 189(4): Armed Member
यदि कोई व्यक्ति unlawful assembly का member है और उसके पास—
deadly weapon; या
ऐसा weapon-like object है जो offence के weapon के रूप में इस्तेमाल होने पर death cause करने की संभावना रखता है,
तो Section 189(4) लागू होता है।
Punishment:
Up to 2 years imprisonment, or fine, or both.
Section 189(4)
Section 189(5): Assembly Likely to Cause Disturbance of Public Peace
Section 189(5) का scope Section 189(1) से अलग है।
यहाँ assembly necessarily Section 189(1) की unlawful assembly हो, ऐसा आवश्यक नहीं है। Provision किसी assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of public peace को cover करता है, जब उसे lawfully disperse करने का command दिए जाने के बाद कोई व्यक्ति knowingly join या continue करता है।
Punishment:
Up to 6 months imprisonment, or fine, or both.
लेकिन Explanation स्पष्ट करती है कि यदि assembly वास्तव में Section 189(1) के अर्थ में unlawful assembly है, तो offender Section 189(3) के तहत punishable होगा।
Section 189(5), Explanation
Section 189(6): Hiring or Engaging Persons
Section 189(6) केवल actual members तक सीमित नहीं है।
जो व्यक्ति किसी person को unlawful assembly में join या member बनने के लिए:
hires,
engages,
employs,
promotes, या
hiring/engagement/employment में connives
करता है, उसे member के रूप में punish किया जा सकता है।
इसके अतिरिक्त, ऐसे hired person द्वारा उस hiring के pursuance में किया गया offence भी statutory provision के अनुसार relevant liability generate कर सकता है।
Section 189(6)
BNSS classification भी इसी कारण Section 189(6) को अलग तरीके से treat करती है—punishment और trial उस underlying offence के अनुसार भी प्रभावित हो सकते हैं।
Section 189(7): Harbouring Hired Persons
यदि कोई व्यक्ति अपने occupation, charge या control वाले house/premises में ऐसे persons को:
harbours,
receives, या
assembles,
और उसे knowledge है कि वे persons unlawful assembly में member बनने के लिए hired, engaged या employed किए गए हैं अथवा किए जाने वाले हैं, तो Section 189(7) लागू हो सकता है।
Punishment:
Up to 6 months imprisonment, or fine, or both.
Section 189(7)
Section 189(8): Being Hired to Participate
Section 189(8) उस व्यक्ति पर लागू होता है जो:
engaged या hired है;
hire/engagement के लिए offer करता है; या
hire/engagement का attempt करता है,
ताकि Section 189(1) में specified acts को do या assist किया जा सके।
Punishment:
Up to 6 months imprisonment, or fine, or both.
Section 189(8)
Section 189(9): Hired Person Going Armed
यदि Section 189(8) में referred hired/engaged person:
armed होकर जाता है; या
armed जाने के लिए engage/offers करता है,
और weapon—
deadly weapon हो; या
ऐसा object हो जो weapon of offence के रूप में इस्तेमाल होने पर death cause कर सकता हो,
तो Section 189(9) लागू होता है।
Punishment:
Up to 2 years imprisonment, or fine, or both.
Section 189(9)
Complete Structure of Section 189
SECTION 189 BNS
│
┌────────────┴────────────┐
│ │
189(1) Definition 189(2)-(9)
of Unlawful Assembly Specific offences
│ │
▼ ├── 189(2) Member
Five or more persons │
+ ├── 189(3) After
Common Object │ dispersal order
│ │
┌─────┼─────┐ ├── 189(4) Armed member
│ │ │ │
(a) (b) (c) ├── 189(5) Assembly
│ │ │ │ likely to disturb
(d) (e) │ public peace
│
├── 189(6) Hiring
│
├── 189(7) Harbouring
│
├── 189(8) Being hired
│
└── 189(9) Hired person
going armedPunishment Table
| Sub-section | Conduct | Maximum Punishment |
|---|---|---|
| 189(1) | Definition of unlawful assembly | Definition; separate punishment under relevant sub-section |
| 189(2) | Knowing member of unlawful assembly | 6 months / fine / both |
| 189(3) | Joining/continuing after dispersal command | 2 years / fine / both |
| 189(4) | Member armed with deadly weapon | 2 years / fine / both |
| 189(5) | Knowingly joining/continuing in assembly of 5+ after dispersal order | 6 months / fine / both |
| 189(6) | Hiring/engaging/employing/promoting/conniving | Same as member + relevant offence liability |
| 189(7) | Harbouring hired persons | 6 months / fine / both |
| 189(8) | Being hired/engaged to participate | 6 months / fine / both |
| 189(9) | Hired person going armed | 2 years / fine / both |
Section 189(2)–(9)
BNSS Classification
BNSS First Schedule के अनुसार Section 189 के अलग-अलग sub-sections की classification अलग है:
| Provision | Cognizable | Bailable | Trial |
|---|---|---|---|
| 189(2) | Yes | Yes | Any Magistrate |
| 189(3) | Yes | Yes | Any Magistrate |
| 189(4) | Yes | Yes | Any Magistrate |
| 189(5) | Yes | Yes | Any Magistrate |
| 189(6) | Yes | Underlying offence के अनुसार | Court by which offence is triable |
| 189(7) | Yes | Yes | Any Magistrate |
| 189(8) | Yes | Yes | Any Magistrate |
| 189(9) | Yes | Yes | Any Magistrate |
BNSS First Schedule — Section 189
विशेष रूप से Section 189(6) में hiring-related liability को underlying offence के साथ connect किया गया है; इसलिए इसकी classification अन्य sub-sections जैसी uniformly fixed नहीं है।
Section 189 and Section 190: Important Distinction
Section 189 unlawful assembly को define करता है और उसके membership/related conduct को punish करता है।
इसके ठीक बाद Section 190 एक अलग और महत्वपूर्ण principle देता है: यदि unlawful assembly का कोई member common object की prosecution में कोई offence commit करता है, या ऐसा offence commit करता है जिसके likely commission के बारे में assembly के members को knowledge थी, तो उस समय assembly का प्रत्येक member उस offence का guilty हो सकता है।
Section 190
इसलिए:
Section 189
↓
Unlawful Assembly / Membership
↓
Section 190
↓
Offence committed in prosecution
of Common Object
↓
Liability of MembersSection 189 and Section 191: Difference
Section 189 unlawful assembly से संबंधित है।
Section 191 rioting से संबंधित है। Section 191(1) के अनुसार जब unlawful assembly या उसका कोई member common object की prosecution में force or violence use करता है, तो प्रत्येक member rioting के offence का guilty हो सकता है।
इसलिए हर unlawful assembly necessarily rioting नहीं है; rioting के लिए Section 191 में specified force or violence का element आता है।
Practical Legal Test
किसी alleged unlawful assembly को Section 189 के तहत examine करते समय यह sequence उपयोगी है:
क्या 5 या अधिक persons थे?
↓
क्या उनका common object था?
↓
क्या common object Section 189(1)(a)-(e)
में specified है?
↓
YES ──────────► Unlawful Assembly
│
▼
क्या accused को relevant facts का knowledge था?
│
▼
क्या उसने intentionally join/continue किया?
│
▼
189(2)
Additional circumstances:
│
├── Dispersal order → 189(3)
│
├── Deadly weapon → 189(4)
│
├── Public peace assembly → 189(5)
│
├── Hiring → 189(6)
│
├── Harbouring → 189(7)
│
├── Being hired → 189(8)
│
└── Hired + armed → 189(9)Key Takeaway
Section 189 BNS में unlawful assembly के लिए मूल statutory test है five or more persons + specified common object। Common object Government/public servant को criminal force से overawe करने, law/legal process resist करने, offence/mischief/criminal trespass करने, criminal force से property/right obtain/enforce करने या किसी व्यक्ति को legally bound न होने वाले act के लिए अथवा legally entitled act छोड़ने के लिए compel करने से संबंधित हो सकता है।
इसके बाद Section 189(2) से (9) तक membership, dispersal order की अवज्ञा, armed membership, public-peace assemblies, hiring, harbouring और hired persons के armed participation से संबंधित अलग-अलग offences निर्धारित किए गए हैं।
Section 189 BNS में unlawful assembly, five persons, common object, membership, deadly weapon, hiring और punishment की पूरी जानकारी।
BNS Section 189, Unlawful Assembly, Common Object
