The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
Section 38. When right of private defence of body extends to causing death.
The right of private defence of the body extends, under the restrictions specified in section 37, to the voluntary causing of death or of any other harm to the assailant, if the offence which occasions the exercise of the right be of any of the descriptions hereinafter enumerated, namely:—
(a) such an assault as may reasonably cause the apprehension that death will otherwise be the consequence of such assault;
(b) such an assault as may reasonably cause the apprehension that grievous hurt will otherwise be the consequence of such assault;
(c) an assault with the intention of committing rape;
(d) an assault with the intention of gratifying unnatural lust;
(e) an assault with the intention of kidnapping or abducting;
(f) an assault with the intention of wrongfully confining a person, under circumstances which may reasonably cause him to apprehend that he will be unable to have recourse to the public authorities for his release;
(g) an act of throwing or administering acid or an attempt to throw or administer acid which may reasonably cause the apprehension that grievous hurt will otherwise be the consequence of such act.
Source: IndiaCode Portal, Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. Open on India Code Check against the official text before relying on it.
Replaces
Indian Penal Code, 1860, Section 100
Pair from: BPR&D correspondence tables (bprd.mha.gov.in; A. K. Yadav, CAPT Bhopal)
Cases citing this section
No order or office report we hold cites this section yet.
Source: Order and office-report PDFs whose text cites the section, read by rule (document_citations); each case through its orders and office reports that carry the PDF