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IPC, 1860
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IPCChapter IIISection 53
Section53

Punishments

AI Assist

Summary

Offenders can be punished by death, imprisonment for life, imprisonment (either rigorous with hard labour or simple), forfeiture of property, or a fine. The specific punishment depends on the offence and the sentence the court imposes. Rigorous imprisonment requires hard labour; forfeiture and fine target the offender’s property or money.

Example

Ravi is convicted of murder. The court may sentence him to death or imprisonment for life. For a related theft charge, the court could instead order imprisonment (rigorous or simple), impose a fine, or forfeit his property.

Bare Act

Enacted text

The punishments to which offenders are liable under the provisions of this Code are:

(1) Death;

(2) Imprisonment for life;

(3) ***

(4) Imprisonment, which is of two descriptions, namely:

(1) Rigorous, that is, with hard labour;

(2) Simple;

(5) Forfeiture of property;

(6) Fine.

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III

Chapter III

Of Punishments

In this chapter

  • 53Punishments
  • 53AConstruction of reference to transportation
  • 54Commutation of sentence of death
  • 55Commutation of sentence of imprisonment for life
  • 55ADefinition of “appropriate Government”
  • 56(Repealed) Sentence of Europeans and Americans to penal servitude
  • 57Fractions of terms of punishment
  • 58(Repealed) Offenders sentenced to transportation how dealt with until transported
  • 59(Repealed) Transportation instead of imprisonment
  • 60Sentence may be (in certain cases of imprisonment) wholly or partly rigorous or simple
  • 61(Repealed) Sentence of forfeiture of property
  • 62(Repealed) Forfeiture of property in respect of offenders punishable with death, transportation or imprisonment
  • 63Amount of fine
  • 64Sentence of imprisonment for non-payment of fine
  • 65Limit to imprisonment for non-payment of fine, when imprisonment and fine awardable
  • 66Description of imprisonment for non-payment of fine
  • 67Imprisonment for non-payment of fine, when offence punishable with fine only
  • 68Imprisonment to terminate on payment of fine
  • 69Termination of imprisonment on payment of proportional part of fine
  • 70Fine leviable within six years, or during imprisonment – Death not to discharge property from liability
  • 71Limit of punishment of offence made up of several offences
  • 72Punishment of person guilty of one of several offences, the judgment stating that it is doubtful of which
  • 73Solitary confinement
  • 74Limit of solitary confinement
  • 75Enhanced punishment for certain offences under Chapter XII or Chapter XVII after previous conviction
Previous · Section 52A“Harbour”Next · Section 53AConstruction of reference to transportation