Punishment for Theft: Section 379 PPC

The section, as retrieved

379. Punishment 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. Pakistan Penal Code — Chapter XVII, Section 379. Retrieved from the corpus indexed by FAI Legal Research Assistant.

Retrieved via full-text search of the indexed Pakistan Penal Code. The corpus flags this text as unverified for currency or amendment — see the caution below before relying on it.

What this means

Section 379 sets the general punishment for theft: up to three years' imprisonment, a fine, or both. It does not itself define what counts as theft — that definition sits in Section 378, in the same Chapter, and turns on the dishonest taking of movable property out of another person's possession without consent. Section 379 is purely the punishment provision that follows once theft, as defined there, is established.

The Chapter also carries aggravated forms of theft — theft in a dwelling house, theft by a clerk or servant, theft after preparation for causing death or hurt — each with its own, heavier punishment section. Section 379 is the baseline, not the ceiling.

What this page does not cover

• The definition of theft itself (Section 378) and its explanations and illustrations.
• Aggravated theft offences carrying heavier sentences under later sections of the same Chapter.
• Whether a given case is theft, criminal breach of trust, or cheating — these are distinct offences; see the criminal breach of trust and cheating pages for the neighbouring provisions.
• Amendments made after this text was indexed.

Frequently asked

Is theft a bailable offence in Pakistan?

This page covers only the punishment provision, Section 379, and does not address bailability, which depends on the offence's classification in the Code's schedule — not summarized here.

Does Section 379 cover theft of any kind of property?

Section 379 is the punishment section; the scope of what counts as theft — specifically movable property — is set by the definition in Section 378, which this page does not reproduce.