Is section 304 a bailable or non-bailable?

Asked by: Dudley Wilkinson  |  Last update: April 7, 2026
Score: 4.9/5 (31 votes)

Section 304 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) (Culpable Homicide not amounting to Murder) is a non-bailable offense, meaning bail is not a right and is granted at the court's discretion, unlike Section 304A (Causing Death by Negligence), which is bailable. Because Section 304 deals with graver offenses, courts heavily scrutinize bail applications, considering the severity of the act and evidence before deciding, with the general stance being against granting bail due to the seriousness of the charge.

What is the maximum punishment for 304A?

India Code: Section Details. [304A. Causing death by negligence. --Whoever causes the death of any person by doing any rash or negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.]

What is the difference between Section 304 and 304A?

Section 304 deals with punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. Section 304A deals with an offence of causing death by negligence. Culpable homicide is altogether a new offence. The offence is homicidal death by rash or negligent act.

Is Section 304 still relevant today?

But unfortunately for the IRS, the use of section 304 these days seems largely confined to corporate taxpayers actively seeking to come within section 304 in order to achieve dividends received deduction or foreign tax credit results that would not otherwise be available -- that is, situations where the facts are such ...

What evidence is needed for IPC 304?

To establish an offense under IPC Section 304, the following must be proved: There was an act that caused the death of a person. The accused had knowledge that their act was likely to cause death. The accused did not have an intention to cause death.

Cyber Crime Police Notice u/s 35(3)/94 BNSS,FIR no 604/2025 u/s 66(D) IT Act ,318(4) & 319(2) BNS

17 related questions found

How does section 304 work?

IRC §304 is an anti-abuse provision aimed at transactions involving related corporations. It governs one corporation's transfer of cash or other property to a shareholder to acquire another corporation's stock when the same shareholder controls both corporations.

Is 304 bailable?

Nature of Section 304 IPC. Offences under this Section may be Cognizable which means the offences for which a police officer can arrest a person without a warrant. Offences under this Section may be Non-Bailable. This means that the grant of bail is not a matter of right.

Can 304A be quashed?

The High Court held that an FIR under Section 304-A IPC cannot be quashed based on any compromise between the accused and the surviving family members of the deceased, emphasising that the deceased is the real victim and no settlement can override the gravity of the offence.

What are the punishments under section 304 IPC?

It should be noted that Section 304 IPC places a strong emphasis on knowledge and intention when determining the severity of the punishment. Section 304 IPC (Part I) imposes a punishment of life in prison or ten years in jail plus a fine for acts done with both the purpose and knowledge.

What kind of cases fall under IPC 304A?

To fill this gap, section 304A was inserted in the Penal Code by the Indian Penal Code (Amendment) Act 27 of 1870 to cover those cases wherein a person causes the death of another by such acts as are rash or negligent but there is no intention to cause death and no knowledge that the act will cause death.

How to prove criminal medical negligence?

The injured patient must show that the physician acted negligently in rendering care, and that such negligence resulted in injury. To do so, four legal elements must be proven: (1) a professional duty owed to the patient; (2) breach of such duty; (3) injury caused by the breach; and (4) resulting damages.

Is 304A now in BNS?

As per new Indian Criminal law, IPC Section 304A has been replaced with BNS Section 106 with effect from July 1, 2024. (IPC section is included as subsection in BNS. Imprisonment is increased and offence by registered medical practitioner and its explanation are added.)

Which section is not bailable?

Non-Bailable Offences:

IPC Section 376 – Rape. IPC Section 409 – Criminal breach of trust by public servant. IPC Section 498A – Cruelty by husband or relatives. IPC Section 467 – Forgery of valuable documents.

What is the difference between Section 304 Part 1 and Part 2?

Under Section 304, there are two parts with differing sentences. Part I comes into application when the offender had the intention to cause bodily harm that might lead to death. Part II incorporates cases of negligence but with no intention of killing.

What is Section 304 A )( 2?

Pursuant to section 304(a)(2), an acquisition of stock by a corporation controlled by the issuer of the acquired stock is treated as if the property received in respect of the acquired stock was a distribution in redemption of the stock of the issuing corporation.

What are the key elements of IPC 304A?

Section 304A applies to deaths caused by rash or negligent acts without intent. The act must directly cause death and be the proximate cause without third party intervention.

What is the case law of Section 304?

Therefore, the requirement of Section 304 Part II IPC is that the doer must have the knowledge that the act performed is likely to cause death or to cause such bodily injury as is likely to cause death but without any intention to cause death.

What is Section 304 of the Penal Code?

Section 304 of Penal Code CAP 63: Housebreaking and burglary

is guilty of the felony termed housebreaking and is liable to imprisonment for seven years. (2) If the offence is committed in the night, it is termed burglary, and the offender is liable to imprisonment for ten years.

Is 304A IPC cognizable or not?

Offences under section 304A of the IPC are Cognizable- Offences. In this type of case, police can arrest convicts without a warrant and can start an investigation without any prior permission of the court. The offence under this section is triable by the Magistrate first class.

What is the difference between Section 304 and 302?

Intent and Knowledge: The key to distinguishing between Section 302 and Section 304 lies in the intent and knowledge of the accused. While Section 302 requires proof of an intention to cause death, Section 304 considers cases where death is caused without the intention to kill but due to rash or negligent acts.

Is a 304 status code good or bad?

A 304 Not Modified status code is generally good, signaling that a browser should use its cached version of a resource, which saves bandwidth and speeds up page loads, but it can be bad if it unexpectedly serves stale content due to cache misconfiguration. It's a positive sign of efficient caching, not an error, allowing servers to avoid sending data that hasn't changed, thereby improving performance. 

What are the common factors of 304?

Hence, the factors of 304 are 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 19, 38, 76, 152, 304.

What is the punishment for Section 304?

Section 304 IPC provides punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder. “Whoever commits culpable homicide not amounting to murder, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment for either description of a term which may extend to 10 years.

Can 304 IPC be quashed?

It is a serious offence which impacts the fabric of society. The offence in question is non-compoundable. The victim in this case is obviously not available, therefore, it would not be in the fitness of things to permit quashing of criminal proceedings under Section 304-A IPC on the basis of settlement.