Section 220: Prohibition of incest

1) No person shall have sexual intercourse with another person knowingly that such person is one falling within the prohibited degree of relationship or incest by consanguinity or affinity for marriage according to the usage, custom or tradition being practiced in his or her caste or lineage.

2) A person who commits the offence referred to in sub-section (1) in the following relationship shall be liable to the following sentence:

(a) A sentence of imprisonment for life in the case of sexual intercourse between the natural mother and her natural son or between the natural father and his natural daughter,

(b) A sentence of imprisonment for a term of four years to ten years and a fine of forty thousand rupees to one hundred thousand rupees in the case of sexual intercourse between the step-mother and her step-son, between the step father and his step daughter, between the full blood elder sister and brother, between full blood elder brother and sister, between father-in-law and daughter-in-law within the same branch, between grand-father and grand-daughter or great-grand-daughter within the same branch, between elder brother-in-law and sister-in-law within the same branch or between younger brother-in-law and sister-in-law within the same branch,

(c) A sentence of imprisonment for a term of three to six years and a fine of thirty thousand to sixty thousand rupees in the case of sexual intercourse between grand-mother and her grand-son or great-grand-son within the three generations of the same branch, between father’s elder brother or uncle and niece within the same branch, between nephew and great mother (wife of own father’s brother) or aunty within the same branch, between father-in-law and brother’s daughter-inlaw within the same branch, between uterine maternal uncle and niece or nephew and maternal aunty, between mother’s elder sister or younger sister and nephew or between mother-in-law (one’s wife side) and son-in-law,

(d) A sentence of imprisonment for a term of one year to three years and a fine of ten thousand to thirty thousand rupees, having regard to, inter alia, the branch, relationship and generation, in the case of sexual intercourse between persons in other relationship within seven generations of one’s own clan except that referred to in clause (a), (b) or (c).