The Indian Penal Code, 1860 (IPC) was the substantive criminal code of India for over 160 years. Drafted under Lord Macaulay as part of the British Indian codification effort, the IPC defined offences (murder, theft, cheating, rape, criminal conspiracy, etc.) and prescribed punishments. It was replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) with effect from 1 July 2024.
**Continuing relevance.** The IPC is not repealed for pending cases: offences committed before 1 July 2024 are tried under the IPC. Given the typical 5-15 year life cycle of criminal matters in Indian courts, IPC-era matters will continue moving through the system for many years.
**Key sections still governing pending matters:** — Section 302: Murder (now BNS 103 for new offences) — Section 307: Attempt to murder (now BNS 109) — Section 323: Voluntarily causing hurt (now BNS 115) — Section 376: Rape (now BNS 64) — Section 379: Theft (now BNS 303) — Section 420: Cheating (now BNS 318) — Section 498A: Cruelty by husband or relatives (now BNS 85) — Section 506: Criminal intimidation (now BNS 351)
**Transitional drafting.** For pending matters, pleadings cite IPC section numbers. For new matters, BNS sections. Early defence-side drafting often includes a parenthetical "corresponding BNS section" reference for judicial convenience, though this is style rather than strict requirement.
**Research note.** Decades of IPC jurisprudence — Supreme Court and HC interpretations of IPC sections — continues to govern pending matters and, in many cases, carries forward to the corresponding BNS provisions where the substantive definition is preserved.