Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life
Section 270 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life. Whoever malignantly does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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.
Whoever malignantly does any act which is, and which he knows or has reason to believe to be, likely to spread the infection of any disease dangerous to life, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Section 270, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 272 Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life Text carried over almost unchanged 100%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
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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G. Srinivas Krishna vs State of Karnataka
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Once a chargesheet has been filed, a Special Leave Petition challenging the underlying criminal proceedings cannot be maintained without directly challenging the chargesheet itself. The appropriate forum and remedy for challenging a chargesheet is not the Supreme Court via SLP but the trial court or through criminal revision, and the Supreme Court will dispose of an SLP where the chargesheet is not directly challenged and no independent legal question survives.
On this section: Cognizable offence of negligently acting with knowledge of danger to life; added later and included in final chargesheet
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 270
What have the courts held on Section 270 of the Indian Penal Code?
G. Srinivas Krishna vs State of Karnataka (05 Jul 2011) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Cognizable offence of negligently acting with knowledge of danger to life; added later and included in final chargesheet.
How do I find court cases under Section 270 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 270, section 270 IPC, section 270 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 270 in bns and ipc 270 punishment. 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 G. Srinivas Krishna vs State of Karnataka (05 Jul 2011).
What should I read with Section 270 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 272 (Malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 270 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 270 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 270, came into force on 01 Jan 1862, having been enacted on 06 Oct 1860. It is no longer in force.
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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.