IPC Section Name: Right of private defence of the body and of property

Explanation

Every person has a right, subject to the restrictions contained in section 99, to defend  himself.

Firstly – His own body, and  the body of any other person, against any offence affecting the human body.

 Secondly – The property, whether movable  or immovable, of himself or of any  other person, against any act which is an offence falling under the  definition of theft, robbery, mischief or criminal trespass, or which is an attempt to commit theft, robbery, mischief or criminal trespass.

Section Number: 76

Section Name: Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law

Description: Nothing is an offence which is done by a person who is, or who by reason of a mistake of fact and not by reason of a mistake of law in good faith believes himself to be, bound by law to do it.

Example scenario

Man 1:  Is a battalion personnel.
Man 2: Man 1’s higher offical.

Upon the orders of Man 2 ’s instructions the battalion person fires againts a group indulged in illegal activties. Man 1 is committed no crime.

IPC section 80  – Indian Penal Code Section 80

Section Number:  80

Section Name:  Accident in doing a lawful act

Description:  Nothing is an offence which is done  by accident or misfortune, and without any criminal intention or knowledge in the doing of a lawful act in a lawful manner by lawful means and with proper care and caution.

Example scenario

Sam is a woodcutter. Raj is a fellow villager some 20 feet away from Sam. While Sam is cutting wood the head of axe flies and broke Raj’s head into death. Being with proper caution and care, now Sam has done NO crime or offence.

IPC section 81- Indian Penal Code Section 81

Section Number: 81

Section Name: Act likely to cause harm, but done without criminal intent, and to prevent other harm

Description: Nothing is an offence merely by reason of its being  done with the knowledge that it is likely to cause harm, if it be done without any criminal intention to cause harm, and in good faith for  the purpose  of preventing or avoiding other harm to person or property.

Example Scenario

Smith is working as captain in a large boat. The boat consists of 3 small boats A, B and C which contains 3,20 and 10 people respectively. Unfortunately there was a mechanical fault in the Captain’ s boat so that i cant hold more weight. He makes his mind as stone and dropped the boat A which has 2 peoples inorder to save people in boat B and C. Now Smith has committed NO crime or offence.

I had a thought of making myself exposed to the various sections of The Indian Penal Code under which the suspects are filed cases and punished.

I believe it is a duty and honour for every Indian to know atleast some of the important sections of the law. This may help you somewhere,sometime or to somebody facing  a critical situation in the society.

indian-penal-code

Evolution of IPC

The Indian Penal Code is a gadget which has almost all the acts and sections happening in the society. It started the evolution in British colonial legislation from 1860. Hence the name Indian Penal Code 1860.

The first draft of IPC was prepared by First Law Commission under Lord Macaulay. The draft  is then passed to various reviews of Sir Barnes Peacock, Chief Justice, and puisne Judges of the Calcutta Supreme Court. They were the of  The Indian Legislative Council, and was passed into law in 1860.

But to the bad fortune of Lord Macaulay he did not survive to see his masterpiece enacted into a law.

The Indian Penal Code came into force in 1862  and is regularly amended.
The IPC has 511 sections which covers various aspects of the Criminal Law.

 In the following topics you will know some of the important Indian Penal Code sections in brief.

Regards,
R.Gopinath