Indian Penal Code, 1860
IPC Section 99 in BNS
Acts against which there is no right of private defence. Section 99 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Acts against which there is no right of private defence) corresponds to Section 37 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.
Verify before you rely on this. Renumbering under the 2023 codes is not a clean one-to-one exercise — provisions were merged, split and reworded. Always check the printed bare act.
Where this sits in the exam
This provision is examined under IPC & Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, worth 8 of the 100 marks in AIBE XXII. The paper permits bare acts but bans notes, so what matters is finding it quickly, not reciting the number.
Questions that turn on this section
Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Decide whether each is true, and if so whether (R) correctly explains (A). Assertion (A): A person cannot claim the right of private defence against an act of a public servant acting in good faith under colour of his office. Reason (R): The right of private defence does not extend to an act that does not reasonably cause the apprehension of death or grievous hurt.
Answer & explanation
Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
Both are true but they are separate rules. The bar on defence against a public servant is in § 37 BNS; the apprehension test in § 38 governs when death may be caused. Neither explains the other.
Sections either side of it
How the neighbouring provisions of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 were renumbered:
| IPC | Provision | BNS |
|---|---|---|
| 96 | Things done in private defence | 34 |
| 97 | Right of private defence of the body and of property | 35 |
| 98 | Right of private defence against the act of a person of unsound mind | 36 |
| 100 | When the right of private defence of the body extends to causing death | 38 |
| 101 | When such right extends to causing any harm other than death | 39 |
| 102 | Commencement and continuance of the right of private defence of the body | 40 |
Practise it
Cutoff has AIBE XXII questions on this area, each cited to both codes with a line telling you where to find it in the bare act. Ten questions per subject are free, no account needed.
Practise free Full IPC→BNS table