Compounding of Offences under Section 320 of Cr.P.C.

As per the Black’s Law Dictionary, “Compound” means “to settle a matter by a money payment, in lieu of other liability”.
The offences which are allowed to be compounded (Compromised) are described under Section 320 of the Code
of criminal Procedure, 1973. These are the offences which are simple and not grave in nature and can be compounded.
Section 320 of Cr.P.C.
Section 320 of Cr.P.C. provides for a list of offences that can be compounded. However such offences
have been classified into ones which can be compounded:-
a) With the permission of court
b) Without the permission of the court
Without the permission of Court
The offences punishable under the sections of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) specified in the first
two columns of the Table next following may be compounded by the persons mentioned in the third column of that
Table.

Section of
the Indian
Person by whom offence may be
Offence Penal
compounded.
Code
Applicable
1 2 3
Uttering wards, etc., with deliberate The person whose religious
intent to wound the religious feeling 298 feelings are intended to be
of any person wounded
The person to whom the hurt is
Causing Hurt. 323, 334
caused. .
Wrongfully restraining or confining
341, 342 The person restrained or confined.
any person.
352, 355, The person assaulted or to whom
Assault or use of Criminal force
358 criminal force is used.
Mischief, when the only loss or
The Person to whom loss or
damage caused is loss or damage to 426, 427
damage is caused.
a private person.
The Person in possession of
Criminal trespass. 447
property trespassed upon.
House trespass 448 Ditto
Criminal breach of contract of The person with whom the
491
service offender has contracted
Adultery. 497 The husband of the woman
Enticing or taking away or detaining
with criminal intent a married 498 Ditto.
woman
1[Defamation, except such case as
are specified against section 500 of
500 The person defamed.
the Indian Penal Code in column 1
of the table under sub section (2).]
Printing or engraving matter,
501 Ditto.
knowing it to be defamatory.
Sale of printed or engraved
substance containing defamatory
502 Ditto.
matter, knowing it to contain such
matter.
Insult intended to provoke a breach
504 The person insulted.
of the peace.
Criminal intimidation except when
the offence is punishable with 506 The person intimidated
imprisonment for seven years.
Act caused by making a person
The person against whom the
believe that he will be an object of 508
offence was committed.
divine displeasure.

Without the permission of the Court

The offences punishable under the section of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860) specified in the first two columns of
the table next following may be compounded with the permission of the court before, by the persons mentioned in the
third column of that table.
TABLE

Section of the Person by whom offence

Offence
Indian Penal may be compounded
 Code
applicable
1 2 3
Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous The person to whom hurt
324
weapons or means is caused.
Voluntarily causing grievous hurt. 325 Ditto.
Voluntarily causing grievous hurt on
335 Ditto.
grave and sudden provocation.
Causing hurt by doing an act so rashly
and negligently as to endanger human 337 Ditto.
life or the personal safety of others.
Causing grievous hurt by doing an act
so rashly and negligently as to
338 Ditto.
endanger human life or the personal
safety of others.
Wrongfully confining a person for
343 The person confined.
three days or more.
Wrongfully confining for ten or more
344 Ditto.
days.
The woman assaulted to
Assault or criminal force to woman
354 whom the criminal force
with intent to outrage her modesty.
was used.
Assault or criminal force in attempting The person assaulted to
357
wrongfully to confine a person. whom the force was used.
Theft, where the value of property
The owner of the property
stolen does not exceed two hundred and 379
stolen.
fifty rupees.
Theft by clerk or servant of property in
possession of master, where the value
381 Ditto
of the property stolen does not exceed
two hundred and fifty rupees.
Dishonest misappropriation of The owner of the property
403
property. misappropriated.
 The owner of the property
Criminal breach of trust, where the
in respect of which the
value of the property does not exceed 406
breach of trust has been
two hundred and fifty rupees.
committed.
Criminal breach of trust by a carrier,
wharfinger, etc. value of property does
407 Ditto
not exceed two hundred and fifty
rupees
Criminal breach of trust by a clerk or
servant, where the value of the property
408 Ditto.
does not exceed two hundred and fifty
rupees.
Dishonestly receiving stolen property,
knowing it to be stolen, when the value The owner of the property
411
of the stolen property does not exceed stolen.
two hundred and fifty rupees.
Assisting in the concealment or
disposal of stolen property, knowing it
The owner of the property
to be stolen, where the value of the 414
stolen.
stolen property does not exceed two
hundred and fifty rupees.
Cheating. 417 The person cheated.
Cheating a person whose interest the
offender was bound. Either by law or 418 Ditto.
by legal contract, to protect.
Cheating by personation: 419 Ditto.
Cheating and dishonestly including
delivery of property or the making,
420
alteration or destruction of a valuable
security.