Section 378 of the Penal Code
Whoever, intending to take dishonestly any movable property out of the possession of any person without that person's consent, moves that property in order to such taking, is said to commit theft.
Explanation 1 - A thing so long as it is attached to the earth, not being movable property, is not the subject of theft; but it becomes capable of being the subject of theft as soon as it is severed from the earth.
Explanation 2 - A moving, effected by the same act which effects the severance, may be a theft.
Explanation 3 - A person is said to cause a thing to move by removing an obstacle which prevented it from moving, or by separating it from any other thing, as well as by actually moving it.
Explanation 4 - A person, who by any means causes an animal to move, is said to move that animal, and to move everything which in consequence of the motion so caused is moved by that animal.
Explanation 5 - The consent mentioned in the definition may be express or implied, and may be given either by the person in possession, or by any person having for that purpose authority either express or implied.
ILLUSTRATIONS
(a) A cuts down a tree on Z's ground, with the intention of dishonestly taking the tree out of Z's possession without Z's consent. Here, as soon as A has severed the tree in order to such taking, he has committed theft.
(b) A puts a bait for dogs in his pocket, and thus induces Z's dog to follow it. Here, if A's intention be dishonestly to take the dog out of Z's possession without Z's consent, A has committed theft as soon as Z's dog has begun to follow A.
(c) A meets a bullock carrying a box of treasure. He drives the bullock in a certain direction, in order that he may dishonestly take the treasure. As soon as the bullock begins to move, A has committed theft of the treasure.
(d) A, being Z's servant and entrusted by Z with the care of Z's plate, dishonestly runs away with the plate without Z's consent. A has committed theft.
(e)Z, going on a journey, entrusts his plate to A, the keeper of a warehouse, till Z shall return. A carries the plate to a goldsmith and sells it. Here the plate was not in Z's possession. It could not, therefore, be taken out of Z's possession, and A has not committed theft, though he may have committed criminal breach of trust.
(f)A finds a ring belonging to Z on a table in the house which he occupies. Here the ring is in Z's possession, and if A dishonestly removes it, A commits theft.
(g)A finds a ring lying on the high road, not in the possession of any person. A by taking it commits no theft, though he may commit criminal misappropriation of property.
(h)A sees a ring belonging to Z lying on a table in Z's house. Not venturing to misappropriate the ring immediately for fear of search and detection, A hides the ring in a place where it is highly improbable that it will ever be found by Z, with the intention of taking the ring from the hiding place and selling it when the loss is forgotten. Here A, at the time of first moving the ring, commits theft.
(i)A delivers his watch to Z, a jeweller, to be regulated. Z carries it to his shop. A, not owing to the jeweller any debt for which the jeweller might lawfully detain the watch as a security, enters the shop openly, take his watch by force out of Z's hand, and carries it away. Here A, though he may have committed criminal trespass and assault, has not committed theft, inasmuch as what he did was not done dishonestly.
(j) If A owes money to Z for repairing the watch, and if Z retains the watch lawfully as a security for the debt, and A takes the watch out of Z's possession, with the intention of depriving Z of the property as a security for his debt, he commits theft, inasmuch as he takes it dishonestly.
(k) Again, if A having pawned his watch to Z, takes it out of Z's possession without Z's consent, not having paid what he borrowed on the watch, he commits theft, though the watch is his own property, inasmuch as he takes it dishonestly.
(l)A takes an article belonging to Z out of Z's possession, without Z's consent, with the intention of keeping it until he obtains money from Z as a reward for its restoration. Here A takes dishonestly; A has therefore committed theft.
(m)A, being on friendly terms with Z, goes into Z's library in Z's absence and takes away a book, without Z's express consent, for the purpose merely of reading it, and with the intention of returning it. Here, it is probable that A may have conceived that he had Z's implied consent to use Z's book. If this was A's impression, A has not committed theft.
(n)A asks charity from Z's wife. She gives A money, food and clothes, which A, knows to belong to Z, her husband. Here it is probable that A may conceive that Z's wife is authorized to give away alms. If this was A's impression, A has not committed theft.
(o)A is the paramour of Z's wife. She gives A valuable property, which A knows to belong to her husband Z, and to be such property as she has no authority from Z to give. If A takes the property dishonestly, he commits theft.
(p)A in good faith, believing property belonging to Z to be A's own property, takes that property out of B's possession. Here, as A does not take dishonestly, he does not commit theft.
379. Punishment for theft
Whoever commits theft shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both, and for a second or subsequent offence shall be punished with imprisonment and shall also be liable to fine or to whipping.
Seksyen 378 – Kesalahan Mencuri
Sesiapa yang, dengan niat untuk mengambil harta alih secara tidak jujur daripada milikan seseorang tanpa keizinan orang itu, mengalihkan harta tersebut bagi tujuan pengambilan itu, adalah dikatakan telah melakukan "curi".
Penjelasan:
Penjelasan 1:
Sesuatu benda yang masih melekat pada bumi bukanlah harta alih dan tidak boleh menjadi subjek curi; tetapi ia menjadi subjek curi sebaik sahaja ia dipisahkan daripada bumi.
Penjelasan 2:
Pengalihan yang berlaku serentak dengan perbuatan memisahkan sesuatu daripada bumi boleh dianggap sebagai curi.
Penjelasan 3:
Seseorang dikatakan menyebabkan sesuatu benda bergerak apabila dia mengalihkannya, mengeluarkan halangan yang menghalang pergerakannya, atau memisahkannya daripada benda lain.
Penjelasan 4:
Seseorang yang menyebabkan haiwan bergerak dengan apa jua cara, adalah dianggap telah menggerakkan haiwan itu, dan juga menggerakkan segala benda yang turut bergerak akibat pergerakan haiwan tersebut.
Penjelasan 5:
Keizinan seperti disebut dalam takrif boleh bersifat nyata atau tersirat, dan boleh diberikan oleh orang yang memiliki harta tersebut, atau oleh sesiapa yang mempunyai kuasa (nyata atau tersirat) untuk memberi keizinan itu.
Ilustrasi:
(a) A menebang pokok di tanah Z dengan niat untuk mengambil pokok itu tanpa keizinan Z. Sebaik sahaja pokok itu ditebang bagi tujuan itu, A telah melakukan curi.
(b) A meletakkan umpan anjing dalam poketnya dan menyebabkan anjing Z mengikutinya. Jika niat A adalah untuk mengambil anjing itu tanpa keizinan Z, A telah melakukan curi sebaik sahaja anjing itu mula mengikutnya.
(c) A mengarahkan seekor lembu yang membawa kotak harta bergerak ke arah tertentu bagi tujuan mengambil harta tersebut secara tidak jujur. Bila lembu itu mula bergerak, A telah melakukan curi.
(d) A, seorang pekerja kepada Z yang diamanahkan menjaga pinggan milik Z, melarikan diri dengan pinggan itu secara tidak jujur tanpa keizinan Z. A telah melakukan curi.
(e) Z menyerahkan pinggannya kepada A, penjaga gudang, sebelum pergi mengembara. A menjual pinggan itu. Dalam kes ini, pinggan itu tidak berada dalam milikan Z, maka A tidak melakukan curi tetapi mungkin melakukan pecah amanah jenayah.
(f) A menjumpai cincin milik Z di atas meja rumah yang A duduki. Cincin itu dalam milikan Z; jika A mengambilnya secara tidak jujur, dia telah mencuri.
(g) A menjumpai cincin di jalan raya tanpa milikan sesiapa. Pengambilan itu bukan curi, tetapi mungkin penyelewengan harta secara jenayah.
(h) A menyembunyikan cincin milik Z di tempat yang sukar dijumpai, dengan niat mengambilnya kemudian. A telah mencuri sebaik sahaja dia menggerakkan cincin itu.
(i) A mengambil jam tangannya dari Z, tukang jam, secara paksa tetapi tanpa niat tidak jujur. Ini bukan curi, walaupun mungkin pencerobohan jenayah atau serangan.
(j) Jika Z menahan jam secara sah kerana A berhutang, dan A mengambilnya kembali tanpa membayar hutang, A telah mencuri.
(k) Jika A mengambil semula jamnya yang digadai kepada Z tanpa membayar pinjaman, dia telah mencuri walaupun jam itu miliknya.
(l) A mengambil barang milik Z tanpa keizinan Z, dengan niat meminta ganjaran untuk pemulangan barang. Ini adalah curi.
(m) A meminjam buku dari perpustakaan Z tanpa izin nyata, hanya untuk membaca dan mahu memulangkannya. Jika A percaya dia mempunyai keizinan tersirat, itu bukan curi.
(n) Isteri Z memberi sedekah kepada A dari harta Z. Jika A percaya bahawa isteri Z berkuasa memberi sedekah, A tidak mencuri.
(o) A menerima harta daripada isteri Z yang tidak diberi kuasa untuk memberikannya. Jika A tahu perkara itu dan mengambilnya secara tidak jujur, dia telah mencuri.
(p) A mengambil harta milik Z daripada B, dengan kepercayaan jujur bahawa harta itu miliknya. Jika dia tidak bertindak secara tidak jujur, itu bukan curi.
Seksyen 379 – Hukuman bagi kesalahan mencuri
Sesiapa yang melakukan kesalahan curi boleh dihukum dengan pemenjaraan sehingga tujuh tahun atau dengan denda atau dengan kedua-duanya sekali.
Bagi kesalahan kali kedua atau yang berikutnya, pesalah hendaklah dihukum dengan pemenjaraan dan juga boleh dikenakan denda atau sebatan.