Culpable homicide by causing death of person other than person whose death was intended
Full Text
If a person, by doing anything which he intends or knows to be likely to cause death, commits culpable homicide by causing the death of any person, whose death he neither intends nor knows himself to be likely to cause, the culpable homicide committed by the offender is of the description of which it would have been if he had caused the death of the person whose death he intended or knew himself to be likely to cause.
Plain English Summary
Applies the doctrine of 'transferred malice', stating that if an offender accidentally kills a person other than the intended target, the offense remains as severe as if the intended person had died.
Key Legal Elements
- Offender does an act intending or knowing it likely to cause death
- Causes death of a person other than the intended victim
- The character of the offense is evaluated as if the intended person had died
Practical Note
Known in legal theory as the doctrine of Transferred Malice (translatio malitiae). The offender cannot claim lack of mens rea (intention) towards the actual victim to escape murder or culpable homicide charges.
हिंदी पाठ
यदि कोई व्यक्ति कोई ऐसी बात करने द्वारा, जिससे मृत्यु कारित करने का उसका आशय हो या जिसके बारे में वह जानता हो कि उससे मृत्यु कारित होना संभाव्य है, किसी ऐसे व्यक्ति की मृत्यु कारित करके आपराधिक मानव वध करता है जिसकी मृत्यु कारित करने का न तो उसका आशय हो और न वह जानता हो कि उसकी मृत्यु कारित होना संभाव्य है, तो अपराधी द्वारा किया गया आपराधिक मानव वध उसी भांति का होगा जिस भांति का वह होता यदि उसने उस व्यक्ति की मृत्यु कारित की होती जिसकी मृत्यु कारित करने का उसने आशय रखा था या जिसके बारे में वह जानता था कि उसकी मृत्यु कारित होना संभाव्य है।