Penal Code
2008 Ed.
34
CAP. 224
during the time of his attendance, to furnish Z with food supplied to them
for that purpose. Z dies of hunger. Both A and B are guilty of the murder
of Z.
(c) A, a jailor, has the charge of Z, a prisoner. A, intending to cause Z’s death,
illegally omits to supply Z with food; in consequence of which Z is much
reduced in strength, but the starvation is not sufficient to cause his death.
A is dismissed from his office, and B succeeds him. B, without collusion
or co-operation with A, illegally omits to supply Z with food, knowing
that he is likely thereby to cause Z’s death. Z dies of hunger. B is guilty of
murder; but as A did not co-operate with B, A is guilty only of an attempt
to commit murder.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 37]
Several persons engaged in the commission of a criminal act
may be guilty of different offences
38. Where several persons are engaged or concerned in the
commission of a criminal act, they may be guilty of different
offences by means of that act.
[51/2007]
Illustration
A attacks Z under such circumstances of grave provocation that his killing of Z
would be only culpable homicide not amounting to murder. B, having ill-will
towards Z, and intending to kill him, and not having been subject to the
provocation, assists A in killing Z. Here, though A and B are both engaged in
causing Z’s death, B is guilty of murder, and A is guilty only of culpable homicide.
[Indian PC 1860, s. 38]
“Voluntarily”
39. A person is said to cause an effect “voluntarily” when he causes
it by means whereby he intended to cause it, or by means which, at the
time of employing those means, he knew or had reason to believe to be
likely to cause it.
Illustration
A sets fire, by night, to an inhabited house in a large town, for the purpose of
facilitating a robbery, and thus causes the death of a person. Here A may not have
intended to cause death, and may even be sorry that death has been caused by this
Informal Consolidation – version in force from 1/4/2015