ARMY INSTITUTE OF LAW, MOHALI

PROJECT ON “Punishment”

Project Submission in the Partial Fulfillment of Periodic Evaluation of Indian

Submission To: Submitted By:

Dr BAJIRAO A RAJWADE SANJEEV YADAV

FACULTY: 7th SEMESTER B.A. LL.B.

IPC ROLL NO: - 1716

This project consumed a huge amount of work, research and dedication. I would like to express
my deepest appreciation to all those who provided me with the possibility to complete this
project work.

Sincere gratitude to our Professor, whose superior knowledge and contribution in stimulating
suggestions helped me to coordinate my full effort in achieving the project.

Furthermore, I would also like to acknowledge with much appreciation the crucial role of
management of Army Institute of Law, who gave the permission to use all required equipment
and necessary material to complete this task of research.

SANJEEV YADAV

Roll No. - 1716

Sections 53 to 75 of the IPC incorporate general provisions relating to punishment for different
offences. Chapter III of IPC titled 'Of Punishments' contains Ss. 53-60 dealing with different
types of punishments, including death sentence, life imprisonment and imprisonment for certain
periods, whether the sentence should be served as rigorous or simple imprisonment and so on.
Provisions relating to imposition of fines, including provisions for alternative sentences, if fines
are not paid are incorporated in Ss. 63-70, IPC; nature of punishment for offences made up of
several offences is provided for in Ss. 71 and 72. Solitary confinement as punishment and limits
of its imposition are spelt out in Ss. 73 and 74. Section 75 provides for enhanced punishment for
certain offences for repeat offenders.

In India, there is no uniform sentencing policy and generally it is alleged that sentences reflect
the individual philosophy of the judges. The Supreme Court spoke of the sentencing in Surja
Ram v. State of Rajasthan1, for deciding just and appropriate sentence to be awarded for an
offence

Punishment

The mood and temper of the public with regard to the treatment of crime and criminals is one of
the unfailing tests of the civilization of any country. A calm, dispassionate recognition of the
rights of the accused - and even of the convicted - criminal against the State; a constant heart-
searching by all charged with the duty of punishment; a desire and eagerness to rehabilitate in the
world of industry those who have paid their due in the hard coinage of punishment; tireless
efforts towards- the discovery of curative and regenerative processes; unfailing faith that there is
a treasure, if you can only find it, in the heart of every man; these are the symbols which in the
treatment of crime and criminal, mark and measure the stored-up strength of a nation, and are
sign and proof of the living virtue in it." It is recognized on all hands that during the past hundred
years, our views on punishment have undergone a change. Punishment is no longer retributive in
the sense of satisfying the feelings of revenge of the victim, but the view is still held that it is

1
AIR 1997 SC 18.
retributive in the sense that it expresses the solemn disapprobation of the community -
reprobation not always unmixed in the popular mind with atonement and expiation. As Gardiner
says: " in the sense in which retribution implies that a criminal deserves his punishment, this
feeling is connected with the notion of justice itself, of justice as an ultimate value akin to the
idea of truth and closely connected with the principle of equality ... 'A' deserves his punishment
but 'B' if he has been harshly treated by the, Courts, does not and it is the negative corollary of
retribution which makes public opinion rally in B's favour.2"

Punishment governs all mankind; punishment alone preserves them; punishment awakes while
their guards are asleep; the wise considers the punishment (danda) as the perfection of justice.3

Punishment under IPC

Punishment is a procedure by which the state causes some torment to the people or property of
individual who is discovered blameworthy of Crime. At the end of the day discipline is endorse
forced on a blamed for the encroachment for the built up rules. The Object of Punishment is to
shield society from insidious and bothersome components by discouraging potential guilty
parties, by keeping the genuine wrongdoers from submitting further offenses and by
transforming and transforming them into honest nationals.

The stage of punishment is the final process of the criminal jurisprudence system. As is well
known, one of the fundamental tenets of criminal law is that „person is considered innocent until
proven guilty‟. Once the court comes to a conclusion, based on evaluation of the evidence
admitted before the court, that the accusation are proved against the accused, then the court
necessarily decide the quantum of punishment to be awarded to the accused. The object of the
punishment in the scheme of modern social defence is correction of wrong doer and not
wrecking gratuitous punitive vengeance in the criminal. The punishments to which offenders are
liable are enlisted under Section 53 of the Indian Penal Code. Section 53 to 75 of the Indian
Penal Code 1860 deals with the scheme of Punishment. Section 53 of the Indian Penal Code
prescribes five kinds of punishments.

Section 53 of the Indian Penal Code prescribes five kinds of punishments are as follows:

2
Gardiner, "The Purposes of Criminal Punishment"21 Mod. L.R. p.121 (1958)
3
Hindu Law giver ‘Manu’
 1. Death
2. Imprisonment for life
3. Imprisonment, which is of two descriptions, namely -
(i) Rigorous, that is with hard labour.
(ii) Simple
4. Forfeiture of property
5. Fine.

Death

Capital punishment is the harshest of discipline endorsed in the Indian Penal Code, which
includes the legal murdering or ending the life of the blamed as a frame for discipline. The
question of whether the state has the right to take the life of a person, however, gruesome the
offence he may have committed, has always been or contested issue between moralists who feel
that the death sentence is required as a deterrent measure and the progressives who argue that
judicial taking of life is nothing else but court mandated murder. The following are the offences
for which a sentence of death may be passed

 Waging or attempting to wage war or abetting the waging of war against Government of
India (S. 121).
 Abetment of mutiny actually committed (S.132).
 Giving or fabricating false evidence upon which innocent person suffers death (S.194).
 Murder (S.302).
 Punishment for murder by lifer (S.303).
 Abetment of suicide of a child, insane or intoxicated person (S.305).
 Abetment to murder by a person under sentence of imprisonment for life; if hurt is caused
(S.307).
 Dacoity with murder (S.396)

The law vests in the judge a wide discretion in the matter of passing a sentence and as such the
award of death penalty, except in the solitary cases provided the section 303, is left to the
discretion of the court. Section 303 I.P.C. which had left no option to the judge as it made capital
sentence compulsory in the case of a convict who committed murder while undergoing a
sentence of imprisonment for life; was however struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme
Court.

Constitutionality of Death Sentence

It has been held by the Supreme Court in Jag Mohan Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh 4, that
death sentence is not violative of Articles 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution. It cannot be regarded
per se as unreasonable or not in public interest. The provision does not suffer from the vice of
excessive delegation on the ground that the legislature has abdicated its essential function in not
providing by legislative standards in what cases the judge should pass death sentence.

The same question as to whether death sentence is constitutional or not again came up before the
Supreme Court in Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab5

The provision of death penalty as an alternative punishment for murder is not violative of Article
21. The founding fathers of the Constitution recognized the right of the State to deprive a person
of his life or personal liberty in accordance with fair, just and reasonable procedure established
by valid law.

In Shashi Nayar v. Union of INDIA 6 , the Supreme Court observed that the procedure provided
by the law for awarding death sentence is reasonable. The death sentence should be awarded in
rarest of rare cases and it does not violate the mandate of Article 21.

Imprisonment–for Life with Hard Labour, Simple Imprisonment

Before 1955, the words “transportation for life” was used. The Code of Criminal Procedure
Amendment Act, 1955 (Act No. 26 of 1955) substituted the words “Imprisonment for life” in
place of “transportation for life”. The punishment of the Imprisonment for Life means
imprisonment for the whole of the remaining period of the convicted person’s natural life.

4
AIR 1973,SC 947
5
AIR 1980 SC 898
6
AIR 1978 SC 1605
Imprisonment

Imprisonment is its pure and simple form is a kind of punitive reaction. Its object being primarily
to deprive the offender of his liberty which is the most serious damage which can be caused to a
human being, next to deprivation of life by death sentence.

The most serious problem associated with imprisonment is what has been termed as
“prisonization‟. The prisoner introduced to a new environment which has its own culture and
values, is affected by the direct impact on the earlier culture which the prisoner was exposed to
before entering the jail.

The sentence of imprisonment for life is provided for about 50 offences under the code.

Kinds of Imprisonment

 Simple imprisonment
 Rigorous imprisonment

In the case of the former the convicted person is not put to any kind of work or labour. There are
various offences mentioned in the code which are punishable with simple imprisonment only.

They are as follows:

 Public servant unlawfully engaging in trade or unlawfully buying or bidding for property
(Section 168 and 169).
 Absconding to avoid service of summons or other proceedings or not attending to
obedience to an order from a public servant (Sections 172- 174)
 Intentional omission to produce a document to a public servant (Sections 175, 176 and
187)
 Refusing oath when duly required taking oath by a public servant (Section 178, 179,
180).
 Disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant if such disobedience
causes obstruction, annoyance or injury (Section 185).
  Disobedience causes obstruction, annoyance or injury (Section 185).

In case of rigorous imprisonment, the convicted person is put to hard labour but not harsh labour.
A vindictive officer victimizing a prisoner by forcing on him particularly harsh and degrading
jobs violates laws mandate. The determination of the right measure of punishment is often a
point of great difficulty and no hard and fast rule can be laid down. It being a matter of discretion
which is to be guided by a variety of considerations but the court has always to bear in mind the
necessity of proportion between an offence and the penalty. In imposing a punishment it is
necessary to have as much regard to these pecuniary circumstances of the accused person as to
the character and magnitude of the offence.

Forfeiture of Property

Forfeiture of the whole of the property of the criminal is not possible according to the present
Law. The opinions received by the Law Commission of India in its 42nd report, were largely
against the introduction of confiscation of property. The Commission too was of the view that
the harsh punishment which will fall not only on the criminal but on his dependent family, is not
to be recommended. Such a punishment is certainly called in case of smugglers and black
markets where prima facie the source of income or property acquired by the offender may be
illegal. As regards hardships to the family, the same is caused in varying degrees in all forms
punishments. This punishment has been retained in the I.P.C. Bill of 1972. Sections 61 and 62 of
the I.P.C. which provided for absolute forfeiture of all property of the offender have been
repealed. There are three cases in which specific property of the offender is liable to forfeiture,
viz.
 Where depredation is committed on territories of any power at peace with the
government of India, such property as is used or intended to be used in committing such
degradation is liable to forfeiture in addition to the sentence of imprisonment and fine
(Section 126).
 Where property is received knowing the same to have been taken in the commission of
depredation on the territories of any power at peace with the government of India or in
waging war against any Asiastic Power at peace with Government of India. The property
so received is liable to forfeiture (Section 125 and 127).
  A public servant unlawfully buying or bidding for property forfeits the property so
purchased. (Section 169).

Fine

Fine as an additional or alternative form of punishment has been increasingly favored by the law
as well as judicial authorities. They are very frequently imposed in relation to property crime and
the embezzlement, fraud, theft, violations of lottery and gambling laws and minor offences like
loitering and disorderly conduct.

The imposition of fines may be made in four different ways as provided in the I.P.C. It is the sole
punishment for certain offences and the limit of maximum fine has been laid down: in certain
offences it is an alternative punishment but the amount is limited, in offences where it is
imperative to impose fine in addition to some other punishment and in offences where it is
obligatory to impose fine but no particular pecuniary limit is laid down.

As regards the question of quantum of fines, no general provision exists in England to regulate it.
But both Magna Carta and the Bill of Rights contain provisions prohibiting excess and
unreasonable fines and assessment. In I.P.C. it is observed, that in offences, which are the result
of greedy, the amount of fines ought to be so excessive as to reduce the offender to poverty. The
measure of punishment of fine must be carefully regulated and due regard must be had to the
nature of the offence and the means of the offender.

The I.P.C. prescribes only the sentence of fine in the following cases:

 The master negligently concealing a deserted on board a merchant vessel (Section 137).
 The owner or occupier of the land upon which an unlawful assembly or riot has taken
places if he does not give the earliest notice at the nearest police station (Section 154).
 Any person for whose benefit a riot is committed and who does not use the lawful means
to prevent it. (Section 155).
 An agent or manager of a person for whose benefit a riot is committed if he does not use
lawful means to prevent it (Section 156).
 Bribery by treating with food, drink etc. (Section 171 E).
 A person making a false statement in connection with an election (Section 171 G).
 Any person incurring illegal payments in connection with an election (Section 171-H).
 Failure to keep election accounts (Section 171-I).
 Dealing in or selling any fictitious stamp (Section 263-A).
 Making atmosphere noxious to health (Section 278).
 Obstructing a Public way or line of navigation (Section 283).
 Committing a public nuisance not otherwise punishable by this code (Section 290).
 Publication of proposal regarding a lottery not being a state lottery or authorized by the
Stage Government (Section 295-A).
 CONCLUSION

From the above study one can easily comprehend that human society is the nexus of cooperative
endeavor secured through means of coercion, whereby the recognized authority is compelled to
punish the individual who does not adheres to the rules and regulation prescribed for the greater
good. It is equally important to practice the punishment for maintaining the social cohesion and
that can be done only through law and order. Justice can be administered only by imposing what
is proper punishment for the crime so committed. However one must also realize the fact that
social sanction is an efficient instrument only if it is associated with irresistible force of the
community. And punishment is nothing but a means of social control. It is the restorative justice
which seeks to heal & right the wrongs, focusing on the needs of the harmed & those responsible
for the harm. It encourages accountability, healing & closure for all.

The article in its conclusion suggests the following:

1. There is an urgent need of updating (or provide updated figures of fine after a fixed
interval) with respect to IPC as it is still suffering from the colonial hangover and
outdated amounts of fine.
2. The provisions where fine is provided as an alternative to imprisonment should be
amended at the earliest so that there is no gross violation of the principles of criminal
justice where imprisonment becomes essential. Even if this may be justified for petty
offenses, then the amendment should take place for grave crimes such as culpable
homicide and death by negligence.  

There is demand for introducing various new punishments for certain crimes with a view to
improve the system of criminal justice and make the criminal law strong enough to deal with the
criminality. This is where the need arises of making a thorough study keeping in view what was
the system of punishment previously and what it is at present. 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Books:

1. SMA Qadri: Criminology and Penology; Eastern Book Company (6th Ed.)
2. Prof NV Paranjape: Criminology, Penology and Victimology; Central Law Publications
(6th Ed.)
3. Ratanlal and Dhirajlal, The Indian Penal Code, 35th Edition, Lexis Nexis.
4. K.D. Guar, Indian Penal Code, Universal Law Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd.

References:

1. https://www.lawnotes.in/Kinds_of_Punishments
2. https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199673599.001.0001/oxford
hb-9780199673599-e-41

3. https://thebusinessprofessor.com/knowledge-base/types-of-punishment-for-criminal-
activity/
4. https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/127654/14/09_chapter%202.pdf
5. https://devgan.in/ipc/section/73/
6. http://www.shareyouressays.com/knowledge/solitary-confinement-in-india-explained-
sections-73-and-74-of-ipc/119778
7. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-19410108
8. https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/death-penalty-abolition-study-1104083-2017-
12-10