# Criminal Breach of Trust: Section 406 PPC

What the Pakistan Penal Code actually says about the punishment for criminal breach of trust
— quoted from the section, not paraphrased.

## The section, as retrieved

> 406. Punishment for criminal breach of trust: Whoever commits criminal breach of trust
> shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to
> seven years, or with fine, or with both.
>
> — Pakistan Penal Code, Chapter XVII, Section 406. Retrieved from the corpus indexed by FAI
> Legal Research Assistant. Unverified for currency or amendment — confirm against an
> official or recently updated source before relying on it.

## What this means

Section 406 is the general punishment for criminal breach of trust — up to seven years'
imprisonment, a fine, or both. The offence is defined in Section 405: a person entrusted with
property, or with dominion over it, dishonestly misappropriates or converts it, or disposes
of it contrary to the legal contract or direction governing that trust. The Chapter also
carries aggravated forms — by a public servant, banker, agent, or carrier — punished more
heavily under later sections.

The distinction from theft matters in practice: theft is taking property without consent,
while criminal breach of trust involves property the accused was already lawfully entrusted
with before misusing it.

## What this page does not cover

- The definition of criminal breach of trust itself (Section 405).
- Aggravated forms by a public servant, banker, or agent.
- The distinction from [cheating](https://failegal.site/cheating-fraud-pakistan) and
  [theft](https://failegal.site/theft-punishment-pakistan).
- Amendments made after this text was indexed.

## Frequently asked

**How is criminal breach of trust different from theft?** Theft is taking property without
consent. Criminal breach of trust involves property lawfully entrusted to the accused, which
they then dishonestly misuse.

**Does Section 406 cover breach of trust by a bank employee or public servant?** Section 406
is the general provision; breach of trust by a public servant or banker carries a heavier
punishment under separate, later sections.

- [Theft](https://failegal.site/theft-punishment-pakistan)
- [Cheating (fraud)](https://failegal.site/cheating-fraud-pakistan)