Which of the following acts are exempted from criminal liability under the Indian Penal Code?
(A) Act likely to cause harm done without criminal intent to prevent other harm

(B) Act causing slight harm

(C) Act of a child above 7 and under 12 years, but of immature understanding

(D) Act likely to cause harm done with criminal intent
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct option is A

Exemptions from criminal liability under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) include:
· Section 81(19 BNS): Act likely to cause harm but done without criminal intent to prevent other harm.
· Section 95 (33 BNS): Act causing slight harm.
· Section 83 (21 BNS) : Act of a child above 7 and under 12 years, but of immature understanding.

• Section 81: "Act likely to cause harm but done without criminal intent to prevent other harm": This section relates to "Act done in good faith". It provides an exemption for acts that are likely to cause harm but are done in good faith to prevent other harm. For example, if someone breaks a window to enter a house to save someone’s life, even though it causes harm, the act is justified due to the greater good intended. However, the BNS (Beyond Normal Section) reference appears to be unclear and should be disregarded.

• Section 95: "Act causing slight harm": Section 95 exempts from criminal liability acts that cause "slight harm". This means if an act, though technically an offense, causes only minimal harm (e.g., a minor injury), it may not be punished under the IPC. The BNS reference here seems to be misplaced as there is no such term "33 BNS" associated with this section.

• Section 83: "Act of a child above 7 and under 12 years, but of immature understanding": This section provides an exemption for children between the ages of 7 and 12 who commit offenses but lack the required mature understanding to be held criminally liable. A child in this age range may be exempt from liability if it is proven that they did not understand the nature or consequences of their actions. The BNS (21 BNS) reference again does not seem to align with the actual section.

Information Booster:

• Section 81 is about necessity, and it provides a defense for acts that cause harm but are necessary to avoid a greater harm.

• Section 95 provides a defense for actions that are of a trivial nature and cause slight harm, indicating that not all minor offenses are punishable.

• Section 83 deals with the mental capacity of children, and the law does not hold children criminally liable unless they are over 12 and have the capacity to understand the consequences of their actions.