Section 319

This section provides the basic legal definition of 'hurt,' the foundation for a whole set of offences in the IPC dealing with physical harm to others, ranging from minor injuries to grievous harm. Defining the term precisely allows the law to build a graded structure of offences and punishments depending on the severity and manner of the harm caused. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, this definition is retained under Section 114.

Courts have interpreted 'hurt' broadly to include not just visible physical injuries like cuts or bruises but also causing disease or even psychological or bodily infirmity, as long as it involves bodily pain, disease, or infirmity rather than purely emotional distress.

• Myth: Hurt only means visible injuries like cuts, bruises, or broken bones.
  Fact: Hurt is defined broadly to include any bodily pain, disease, or infirmity caused to a person, even without a visible wound.