Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 379
repealedPunishment for theft
Whoever commits theft shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
Why this exists
This section provides the general punishment for the basic offence of theft defined in the earlier section, giving courts flexibility to choose imprisonment, a fine, or both depending on the facts of the case. Harsher, more specific punishments apply under other sections for theft in a dwelling house, by a servant, or with violence. This punishment clause was carried forward with a similar structure into the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which replaced the Indian Penal Code in 2024.