Section 76
The text of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 is not held here: India Code has no complete official copy of it. The section that replaced it is below.
Source: IndiaCode Portal, Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India. Check against the official text before relying on it.
Replaced by
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Section 14. Act done by a person bound, or by mistake of fact believing himself bound, by law.
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.
Illustrations.
(a) A, a soldier, fires on a mob by the order of his superior officer, in conformity with the commands of the law. A has committed no offence.
(b) A, an officer of a Court, being ordered by that Court to arrest Y, and, after due enquiry, believing Z to be Y, arrests Z. A has committed no offence.
Pair from: BPR&D correspondence tables (bprd.mha.gov.in; A. K. Yadav, CAPT Bhopal)