Emerging Issues of Dacoity under the Indian Penal Code

Dacoity is a type of violent robbery that is done by an armed group. There is no difference between robbery and dacoity, except for the number of people involved. Robbery is considered dacoity if there are five or more people involved. In Malaysia and Singapore, dacoity is called 'gang robbery'. To be considered dacoity, it's necessary for five or more people to conspire to commit a robbery or attempt to commit a robbery. If only one person conspired to commit a robbery, there would be no doubt that the dacoits had the booty with them. Dacoity consists of three components: The accused commits or attempts to commit a robbery; The persons committing or attempting a robbery and those present and aiding in the act must be at least five in number; All such persons must act together. This paper analyzes about nature of dacoity and relevant provisions under the Indian Penal Code.