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INTRODUCTION TO THE INDIAN PENAL CODE

Table of Contents

QUESTION BANK

Q.1 Discuss the salient features of the Indian Penal Code

Q.2 Discuss the historical background and explain the salient features of Indian Penal Code

Q.3 Enumerate salient features of IPC

SHORT NOTES

Salient features of I.P.C.

SYNOPSIS

I] Historical Background.

1) Hindu Criminal Law

2) Mohammedan Criminal Law

3) Criminal Law in Modern India

II] Characteristics (salient features) of the I.P.C.

III] Classification of provisions of I.P.C

A) General principles
B) Specific Offences

I] HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:-

1) Hindu Criminal Law: –

Even though the existence of the Indian Penal Code[1] is of recent origin, the germs of criminal jurisprudence were found in ancient India. It traces back to the time of settlement of ‘Aryans’ in India. They had a fully developed and matured judicial system, including the criminal justice system. Manu, a great Hindu Law giver, says, ‘ it was the king’s duty to punish the criminals’. Even the King was also subject to the law; he could also be punished for wrong done by him according to the rule of ‘Raj-Dharma’.Manu has recognised assault.[2] battery[3], theft[4], robbery[5], false evidence[6], slander[7], libel[8], criminal breach of trust[9], adultery[10], gambling[11] and homicide[12] as crimes, ‘Yagnavalkya’ and ‘Nilkanta’ had also recognised the same.

However, Manu’s criminal justice system was biased. He gave a prominent place to the Brahmins and allowed them exemption from bodily punishments.

Many principles, which are the cornerstones[13] Modern Criminal Jurisprudence was well known to Hindu jurists and was made part of the Hindu criminal justice system.

2) Mohammedan Criminal Law: –

After the establishment of Mohammedan rule in India, the Muslim criminal justice system started. The Muslim Criminal justice system was based on the Koran. The administration of the criminal justice system was left in the hands of Kazis. The punishment varied according to the nature of the crime. While administering justice, the rules were not fixed; therefore, the punishment for the crime was different in different places, including Kazi-to-Kazi. Power and money were determinant factors in deciding cases.

3) Criminal Law in Modern India: –

Two different systems of administration of criminal justice existed in India before the commencement of The Indian Penal Code in 1860. The English System in Presidency Towns of Bombay, Madras and Kolkata[14], and the Islamic system in Mofussil and interior parts of India. Moreover, in 1827, a new criminal justice system was applied to the Presidency of Bombay. This led to chaos in the administration of the criminal justice system.

The Indian Penal Code replaced these different systems with one general law applicable everywhere in British India. The Indian Penal Code was drafted by the First Indian Law Commission, with Lord Macaulay as its President and Millet, Sir John McLeod, and Anderson as the other members. The Commission prepared and submitted the draft of the I.P.C. to the Governor-General of India in 1837. The Indian Penal Code eventually came into the statute book in 1860, and its enforcement started on January 1, 1862.

One of the criticisms against the Indian Penal Code was that Macaulay’s draft was based essentially on British notions. Sir James Stephen also marked that the “Indian Penal Code may be described as the criminal law of England freed from all technicalities and superfluities systematically arranged and modified in some particulars, to suit the circumstances of British India”.

However, this is not true altogether because, while preparing the Indian Penal Code, the Commission relied not only on English notions but also on Indian notions. It had considered Livingstone’s Louisiana Code and the Code of Napoleon. The Indian Penal Code is the outcome of all these notions, and we can mark its success because India is still following the same Code. The principles relevant at that time are equally relevant today. Thus, the Indian Penal Code reflects different social values, i.e. the values of India, Britain, France, etc. Undoubtedly, it requires a thorough reshuffle to make it more useful today.

The Santhanam Committee on Prevention of Crime felt that “the Indian Penal Code, though a very comprehensive compilation, does not fully meet the requirements of our society after a century of its codification. It does not cover many segments of our socio-economic life with which we must contend today”.

II] CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INDIAN PENAL CODE

(SALIENT FEATURES)

The Indian Penal Code is a comprehensive piece of legislation. It comprises 23 Chapters and 511 sections. It is the general penal law of India. It lays down the general conditions of penal liability, the definitions of specific offences, the conditions of exemptions from criminal liability, etc. Some crimes are cognizable[15] , and some are not. Indian Penal Code comprises the traditional and conventional crimes.[16] rooted in customs, i.e. theft, murder, rape etc. In addition, the Code prohibits a vast range of anti-social behaviour. Local and special statutes supplement this Code to punish specific acts of individuals that are prejudicial to the interest of the citizens and states.

The Code is a fine compilation of substantial criminal law.[17] , and most of its provisions are as suitable today as they were when enacted in 1860. However, many new offences have emerged in flux over time. Therefore, the Code needs a thorough revision of these offences to make the Code more progressive and practical. But, these new offences like white collar crime and socio-economic crimes, scams, bank frauds, hawala and criminalisation of politics, cyber crimes, food adulteration, etc., are made punishable by passing special laws like Anti Corruption Act, Cyber Crimes Act, Prohibition of Food Adulteration Act etc. to supplement Indian Penal Code.

III] CLASSIFICATION OF PROVISIONS OF I. P.C.:-

The provisions of I.P.C. can broadly be classified into two categories, viz-

A) General Principles:-

It relates to basic principles of criminal law and criminal liability viz-

Territorial operation of the Code[18] (Jurisdiction Chap. I)
General Explanations (i.e. Definitions etc[19]. (Chap II)
Punishments (Chap. III)
General Exceptions[20] (Chap. IV)
Abetment[21] (Chap. V)
Criminal Conspiracy[22] (Chap. V A)
Attempt to commit offences (Chap. XXIII)

These general principles apply to all offences throuthroughoutCode.

B) Specific Offences:-

There are six categories of specific offences discussed in the Code, viz

(Namely):-

Offences affecting the State[23], etc. (Chap. VI and VII)
Offences affecting the common welfare[24]. (Chap VIII, IX, X, VI, XIV etc).
Offences affecting the human body[25] (Chap. XVI)
Offences affecting the property (Chap. XVII & XVIII)

5 Offences relating to marriage (Chap. XX & X.X.A.)

Offences affecting reputation. (Chap. XXI and XXII)

The provisions relating to General principles[26] are discussed in the first part and those of specific offences[27] in the second part of this book.

I.P.C. is the substantive law, the procedure of which is provided in the Criminal Procedure Code. The Criminal Procedure Code provides for the setting up of criminal courts and the procedure for investigating, inquiring, and trialling the offences.

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[1] For the sake of brevity ‘Indian Penal Code 1860’ is called as “I.P.C” or merely “the Code”.

[2] हमला

[3] जोराचा हमाला / प्रहार [जोरका हमला]

[4] चोरी.

[5] लूट. [लूट का माल]

[6] खोटा पुरावा देणे.[झूठे सबूत दे रहे हैं।]

[7] तोंडी बदनामी करणे./ [मौखिक रूप से बदनाम करना।]

[8] लेखी बदनामी करणे./ [लिखित में बदनामी।]

[9] फौजदारी स्वरूपाचा विष्वासघात./ [आपराधिक देशद्रोह।]

[10] व्याभिचार.

[11] जुगार [जुआ].

[12] मनुश्यवध./

[13] मैलाचा दगड.[मील का पत्थर।]

[14] भारतीय दंड संहिता अस्तित्वात येण्या अगोदर मुंबई, मद्रास व कलकत्त्या सारख्या मुख्य नगरात इंग्रजी फौजदारी न्याय पध्दती अस्तित्वात होती व ग्रामीण भागात इस्लामिक फौजदारी कायदा पध्दती अस्तित्वात होती.[भारतीय दंड संहिता की शुरुआत से पहले, बॉम्बे, मद्रास और कलकत्ता जैसे प्रमुख शहरों में अंग्रेजी आपराधिक न्याय प्रणाली मौजूद थी और ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में इस्लामी आपराधिक कानून प्रणाली मौजूद थी।]

[15] दखलपात्र गुन्हा’, म्हणजे असा गुन्हा कि ज्यामधे पोलिस आरोपीला कोर्टाच्या आज्ञे षिवाय (वारंट) अटक करू शकतात.[ “हस्तक्षेप-योग्य अपराध” एक ऐसा अपराध है जिसमें पुलिस अदालत के आदेश के बिना अभियुक्त को गिरफ्तार कर सकती है; एक वारंट।

[16] पारंपारिक गुन्हे. [पारंपरिक अपराध]

[17] सारभूत फौजदारी तरतुदी असणारा कायदा.[ मौलिक आपराधिक प्रावधानों से युक्त अधिनियम]

[18] भारतीय दंड संहीतेची प्रादेषिक अधिकारीता. [भारतीय दंड संहिता के प्रादेशिक प्राधिकरण ]

[19] सर्वसाधारण स्पश्टीकरणे / व्याख्या ई. [सामान्य स्पष्टीकरण और परिभाषाएँ]

[20] सर्वसाधारण अपवाद [सामान्य अपवाद]

[21] (गुन्हयाला) प्रोत्साहन. [अपराध को प्रोत्साहन]

[22] (गुन्हयाचा) कट / शड्यंत्र [अपराध करने की साजिश]

[23]राश्ट्रा विरूध्दचे गुन्हे. [राष्ट्र के खिलाफ अपराध]]

[24] सर्वांगीण कल्याण.

[25] माणवी शरीर.

[26] सर्वसाधारण तत्वे की जी प्रत्येक गुन्हयाला लागू होतात.[ सामान्य सिद्धांत जो हर अपराध पर लागू होते हैं]

[27] विशिष्ठ प्रकारचे गुन्हे जसे की, चोरी, खून ई. [विशेष प्रकार के अपराध जैसे चोरी, हत्या आदि]