Indian Penal Code 01 Introduction

A 'Bare act' is the actual legislation passed by the Parliament of India. Generally, an act sets out the high level legal and policy principles applicable to the subject matter of the law.

Most acts are accompanied by 'subsidiary legislation' such as rules, regulations, notifications and orders; which address the actual implementation detail of the act.

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Preamble

WHEREAS it is expedient to provide a general Penal Code for India; It is enacted as follows:

Chapter I – Introduction

Section 1 – Title and extent of operation of the Code

This Act shall be called the Indian Penal Code, and shall extend to the whole of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir.

Section 2 – Punishment of offences committed within India

Every person shall be liable to punishment under this Code and not otherwise for every act or omission contrary to the provisions thereof, of which he shall be guilty within India.

Section 3 – Punishment of offences committed beyond, but which by law may be tried within, India

Any person liable, by any Indian law, to be tried for an offence committed beyond India shall be dealt with according to the provisions of this Code for any act committed beyond India in the same manner as if such act had been committed within India.

Section 4 – Extension of Code to extra – territorial offences

The provisions of this Code apply also to any offence committed by:

1. any citizen of India in any place without and beyond India;
2. any person on any ship or aircraft registered in India wherever it may be.

Explanations

1. In this section the word – offence – includes every act committed outside India which, if committed in India would be punishable under this Code

Illustrations

1. A, who is a citizen of India, commits a murder in Uganda. He can be tried and convicted of murder in any place in India in which he may be found

Section 5 – Certain laws not to be affected by this Act

Nothing in this Act shall affect the provisions of any Act for punishing mutiny and desertion of officers, soldiers, sailors or airmen in the service of the Government of India or the provision of any special or local law.

Important Central Acts in Regional Languages

Legislative department website also features regional language versions of several important Central Acts.

• Assamese
• Bengali
• Gujarati
• Kannada
• Malayalam
• Marathi
• Odia
• Punjabi
• Tamil
• Telugu
• Urdu