IPC Section 27
🔷 IPC Section 27 – Punishment for Abetment of an offence punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment
🧾 Text of Section 27 IPC:
"When an offence is abetted which is punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment, the abettor, if no express provision is made by this Code for the punishment of such abetment, shall be punished with imprisonment of any description provided for the offence, for a term which may extend to that provided for the offence, or with such fine as is provided for the offence, or with both."
📘 Explanation in Simple Terms:
Section 27 deals with abetment, meaning helping or encouraging someone to commit a crime. It specifically talks about:
When the crime that is abetted (encouraged or helped) is punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment.
If the IPC doesn’t explicitly state the punishment for abetment of that particular crime,
Then the person who abetted will be punished with the same punishment that the original offence prescribes (could be imprisonment, fine, or both),
And the punishment may be up to the maximum extent provided for the original crime.
🔍 Key Points of Section 27:
Abetment: Encouraging, helping, or instigating someone to commit a crime.
Offence punishable with imprisonment: The offence being abetted is punishable by imprisonment for life or other imprisonment (e.g., 5 years, 7 years, etc.).
No express provision for punishment of abetment:
If there is no specific section in the IPC that tells how abetment of that offence should be punished, Section 27 kicks in.
Punishment of abettor:
The abettor can be punished with the same punishment as the main offence, which can be imprisonment for up to the maximum term prescribed for that offence, or fine, or both.
🧑⚖️ Illustration (Example):
Suppose there is a crime like theft, which is punishable with imprisonment for a certain term. If a person encourages or helps someone to commit theft, but there is no specific section telling how abetment of theft should be punished, then under Section 27, the abettor can be punished with the same imprisonment or fine as prescribed for theft.
🔗 Relation with Other Sections:
Section 107 IPC: Defines abetment.
Section 108 IPC: Abettor liable as principal offender.
Section 28 IPC: Liability when one person acts in consequence of the abetment by another.
Other sections may specifically provide punishment for abetment of certain crimes; if so, those apply instead of Section 27.
🧠 Why Section 27 Is Important:
This section ensures that abettors do not escape punishment just because there’s no specific law telling how to punish abetment of certain crimes. It fills the gap by applying the punishment of the original crime to the abettor, maintaining justice and deterrence.
📝 Summary:
If you abet a crime punishable with imprisonment and the IPC has no special punishment for that abetment,
You can be punished with the same punishment as the original crime,
This ensures abettors are held accountable and discourages people from encouraging crimes.
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