Whoever causes death by doing an act with the intention of causing death, or with the intention of causing such bodily injury as is likely to cause death, or with the knowledge that he is likely by such act to cause death, commits the offence of culpable homicide.
Explanation 1: A person who causes bodily injury to another who is labouring under a disorder, disease or bodily infirmity, and thereby accelerates the death of that other, shall be deemed to have caused his death.
Explanation 2: Where death is caused by bodily injury, the person who causes such bodily injury shall be deemed to have caused the death, although by resorting to proper remedies and skilful treatment the death might have been prevented.
Explanation 3: The causing of the death of a child in the mother's womb is not homicide. But it may amount to culpable homicide to cause the death of a living child, if any part of that child has been brought forth, though the child may not have breathed or been completely born.
📋 Explanation / Illustration
Illustration: A lays sticks and turf over a pit intending to cause death or knowing that death is likely. Z believing the ground to be firm treads on it falls in and is killed. A has committed culpable homicide.
ℹ️ Classification & Key Notes
Culpable homicide is the genus; murder is the species. The key distinction is the degree of intention and knowledge.
