General Explanations
IPC Section 39 - "Voluntarily"
Important notice
As per new criminal laws effective from 1 July 2024, IPC has been replaced by Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). This page is useful for older matters, references and legal research.
Simple language explanation
IPC Section 39 deals with "voluntarily".
Full official legal text
39. "Voluntarily". A person is said to cause an effect "voluntarily" when he causes it by means
whereby he intended to cause it, or by means which, at the time of employing those means, he knew or
had reason to believe to be likely to cause it.
Illustration
A sets fire, by night, to an inhabited house in a large town, for the purpose of facilitating a robbery and thus causes the d eath
of a person. Here, A may not have intended to cause death; and may even be sorry that death has been caused by his act; yet, if he
knew that he was likely to cause death, he has caused death voluntarily.
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Related IPC sections
IPC Section 37
Open related Indian Penal Code section.
IPC Section 38
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IPC Section 40
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IPC Section 41
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