Indian Penal Code

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The Indian Penal Code (IPC), was the official criminal code of the Republic of India, inherited from British India after independence. It remained in force until it was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in December 2023, which came into effect on July 1, 2024. It was a comprehensive code intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. The Code was drafted on the recommendations of the first Law Commission of India established in 1834 under the Charter Act 1833 under the chairmanship of Thomas Babington Macaulay. It came into force in the Indian Subcontinent during the British rule in 1862. However, it did not apply automatically in the Princely states, which had their own courts and legal systems until the 1940s. While in force, the IPC was amended several times and was supplemented by other criminal provisions. Despite promulgation of the BNS, litigation for all relevant offences committed before 1 July 2024 will continue to be registered under the IPC.