"Person"
Section 11 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with "Person". The word "person" includes any Company or Association or body of persons, whether incorporated or not. The Act came into force on 01 Jan 1862. Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under it.
The word "person" includes any Company or Association or body of persons, whether incorporated or not.
Section 11, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 2 Definitions Close, with changes 70%
Measured by comparing the text of the two provisions, not taken from an official correspondence table — there is no machine-readable one. See both texts side by side before relying on it.
Both regimes are live. The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force. We never redirect one to the other.
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
Referred to by 4
- Haryana Recovery of Damages to Property During Disturbance to Public Order Act, 2021 (11 of 2021) s. 2
- Rajasthan Anatomy Act s. 9 Officers to be public servants
- Tripura Recovery of Damages to public and private property Act s. 2 Definitions
- Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property Act s. 2 Definitions
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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D.sampath vs Inspector of Police
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
A private individual can be prosecuted under Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act for accepting gratification from a public servant to influence another public servant. The status of the bribe-giver (whether public servant or private person) is immaterial under Section 8 PC Act. What is relevant is whether the gratification was received by the accused to induce a public servant to do or forbear to do any official act. A private person can be the sole accused in a Section 8 PC Act case without a public servant being named as co-accused. The word 'person' in Section 8 PC Act includes public servants, as the act of giving bribe is not an official duty and therefore a public servant giving bribe acts as a private person.
On this section: Definition of 'person' - cited by petitioner to argue that 'person' does not include public servants; court held this definition does not exclude public servants from the meaning of 'person' in PC Act
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 11
What have the courts held on Section 11 of the Indian Penal Code?
D.sampath vs Inspector of Police (19 Aug 2016) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Definition of 'person' - cited by petitioner to argue that 'person' does not include public servants; court held this definition does not exclude public servants from the meaning of 'person' in PC Act.
How do I find court cases under Section 11 of the Indian Penal Code?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: IPC 11, section 11 IPC, section 11 of the Indian Penal Code. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 1 reported judgment on this section is set out on this page, beginning with D.sampath vs Inspector of Police (19 Aug 2016).
What should I read with Section 11 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
4 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 2 (Definitions), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 11 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 11 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 11, came into force on 01 Jan 1862, having been enacted on 06 Oct 1860. It is no longer in force.
Other sections of this Act
- 499. Defamation1512 words
- 464. Making a false document1223 words
- 300. Murder1172 words
- 378. Theft980 words
- 108. Abettor745 words
- 403. Dishonest misappropriation of property727 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Recovered from the consolidated text published by India Code (item 7b7d4fe6-206b-4e33-81f1-b98b018acaf6). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.