IPC 79 — Act done by a person justified, or by mistake of fact believing himself, justified, by law

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Statutory text

Nothing is an offence which is done by  any person  who is  justified by  law, or  who by reason of a mistake of  fact and  not by reason of a mistake of law in good faith, believes himself to be justified by law, in doing it.
Illustration A sees  Z commit  what appears  to A  to be  a murder.  A, in the exercise, to  the best  of his  judgment exerted in good faith, of the power which  the law gives to all persons of apprehending murderers in the fact, seizes Z, in order to bring Z before the proper authorities.
A has  committed no  offence, though it may turn out that Z was acting in self-defence.

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