Negligent conduct with respect to animal
Section 289 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 deals with negligent conduct with respect to animal. Whoever knowingly or negligently omits to take such order with any animal in his possession as is sufficient to guard against any probable danger to human life, or any probable danger of grievous hurt from such animal, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may ex 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 Repealed by section 358 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and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 knowingly or negligently omits to take such order with any animal in his possession as is sufficient to guard against any probable danger to human life, or any probable danger of grievous hurt from such animal, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one
thousand rupees, or with both.
Section 289, The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Act 45 of 1860).
Now in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita
BNS 291 Negligent conduct with respect to animal Text carried over almost unchanged 95%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
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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State of Haryana vs DHANI
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
In criminal law, the burden of proving the guilt of the accused exclusively lies on the prosecution, which must prove the offences charged beyond reasonable doubt. The benefit of doubt, if any, must go in favour of the accused. When the prosecution fails to produce eyewitness evidence, best evidence (such as CCTV footage), medical evidence, and forensic evidence despite their availability, and when the testimonies of witnesses are contradictory, hearsay, or hostile, the prosecution has failed to discharge its burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt. In such circumstances, the accused must be acquitted and given the benefit of doubt, as wrongful conviction of an innocent person is far more serious than wrongful acquittal.
On this section: Rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, by which life or personal safety of any person is endangered. The court examined whether the accused's act of allegedly letting the dog loose constituted such a rash or negligent 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 289
What have the courts held on Section 289 of the Indian Penal Code?
State of Haryana vs DHANI (05 Sep 2025) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, by which life or personal safety of any person is endangered. The court examined whether the accused's act of allegedly letting the dog loose constituted such a rash or negligent act.
How do I find court cases under Section 289 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 289, section 289 IPC, section 289 of the Indian Penal Code. People searching for it also type ipc 289 in bns. 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 State of Haryana vs DHANI (05 Sep 2025).
What should I read with Section 289 of the Indian Penal Code, and has it changed?
2 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNS 291 (Negligent conduct with respect to animal), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 289 of the Indian Penal Code come into force?
Section 289 of the Indian Penal Code, cited as IPC 289, 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.