Indian Penal Code was enacted in the year 1860. During the last 150 years of its existence on the statute book, it has undergone the least number of amendments. It is heartening to mention here that we have not come across a judgment stressing the need to fill in any lacuna in the Penal Code on account of ambiguous language. Lord Macaulay, the President of First Indian Law Commission has rightly commented “Our principle is simply this—Uniformity when you can have it, Diversity when you must have it, but, in all cases Certainty” Hence, the Indian Penal Code is a role model in the matter of certainty.

Government of India has constituted a “Committee on Reforms of the criminal system” on 24th November, 2000 under the Chairmanship of Dr. Justice V.S. Malimath to consider measures for revamping the Criminal Justice System and the Committee has forwarded its recommendations to the Government during 2003. Recently, the Code of Criminal Procedure was amended by Criminal Procedure Amendment Act, 2008 which has come into force with effect from             31.12.2009, except three Sections (5, 6 and 2-b) of the said act.

This book provides a short cut to the students of the 5 year law degree course to enable them to get a broad understanding of the topics that would be covered under the revised syllabus with effect from the academic year 2011-2012. Though every effort has taken to incorporate the developments / amendments on the subject, it may happen that some developments might have taken place subsequent to release of the book for publication. Hence, the readers are therefore advised to study recent amendments / case laws.