Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 431
repealedMischief by injury to public road, bridge, river or channel
Whoever commits mischief by doing any act which renders or which he knows to be likely to render any public road, bridge, navigable river or navigable channel, natural or artificial, impassable or less safe for travelling or conveying property, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both.
Why this exists
Public roads, bridges, and navigable waterways are critical infrastructure used by large numbers of people for travel and transporting goods, and damage to them can endanger public safety and disrupt commerce on a wide scale. This section imposes a stricter punishment than ordinary mischief because such acts threaten collective public interest rather than just individual property. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, this corresponds to Section 326.
How courts read it
Courts examine whether the accused's act rendered, or was known to be likely to render, a public road, bridge, or navigable waterway impassable or less safe, focusing on the public and infrastructural nature of the harm rather than damage to purely private property.
Common misconceptions
- Myth: This section only applies to attacks specifically targeting government property.
Fact: It applies to any act that renders a public road, bridge, or navigable waterway impassable or less safe, regardless of who the ultimate intended target of the act was.