Your or my conjectures do not justify or incriminate the field action. The ground circumstances of the action and the laws of the land do.
Can you read this out and let me know what you understand from it about your responsibilities and what you think is needed to discharge such responsibilities properly?
IPC section 96 -- Nothing is an offense which is done in the exercise of the right of private defence.
This right can be exercised if there is no sufficient time for recourse to public authorities.
IPC section 97 -- Every bonafide citizen has the right (subject to the restrictions contained in section 99):
(1) to protect one's own body, and the body of any other person, against any offenses affecting the human body.
(2) To protect one's property or of any other person, whether moveable or immoveable, in case of theft, robbery, mischief or criminal trespass, or an attempt to do so.
IPC section 98 -- When an act, which would otherwise be a certain offense, is not that offense, by reason of the youth, the want of maturity of understanding, the unsoundness of mind or the intoxication of the person doing that act, or by reason of any misconception on the part of that person, every person has the same right of private defence against that act which he would have if the act were that offence.
IPC section 99 -- There is no right of private defence against an act which does not reasonable cause the apprehension of death or of grievous hurt. There is no right of private defence in cases in which there is time to have recourse to the protection of the public authorities.
"Where there is an element of invasion or aggression on the property by a person who has right to possession, then there is obviously no room to have recourse to the public authorities and the accused has the undoubted right to resist the attack and use even force if necessary"; ~ Puran Singh v. State of Punjab, 1975 Cr LJ 1479 SC
IPC section 100 -- The right of private defence of the body extends to the voluntary causing of death or of any other harm to the assailant, if the offence which occasions the exercise of the right be of any of the descriptions hereinafter enumerated, namely:—
First.— Such an assault as may reasonably cause the apprehension that death will otherwise be the consequence of such assault;
Secondly.—Such an assault as may reasonably cause the apprehen-sion that grievous hurt will otherwise be the consequence of such assault;
Thirdly.— An assault with the intention of committing rape;
Fourthly.—An assault with the intention of gratifying unnatural lust;
Fifthly.— An assault with the intention of kidnapping or abduct-ing;
Sixthly.— An assault with the intention of wrongfully confining a person, under circumstances which may reasonably cause him to apprehend that he will be unable to have recourse to the public authorities for his release
IPC section 101 -- If the offense be not of any of the descriptions enumerated in the last preceding section, the right of private defence of the body does not extend to the voluntary causing of death to the assailant, but does extend, under the restrictions mentioned in Section 99, to the voluntary causing to the assailant of any harm other than death.
IPC section 102 -- The right of private defence of the body commences as soon as a reasonable apprehension of danger to the body arises from an attempt or threat to commit the offence though the offence may not have been committed; and it continues as long as such apprehension of danger to the body continues.
IPC section 103 -- The right of private defence of property extends, under the restrictions mentioned in section 99, to the voluntary causing of death or of any other harm to the wrong-doer, if the offence, the committing of which, or the attempting to commit which, occasions the exercise of the right, be an offence of any of the descriptions hereinafter enumerated, namely:—
First.— Robbery;
Secondly.—House-breaking by night;
Thirdly.— Mischief by fire committed on any building, tent or vessel, which building, tent or vessel is used as a human dwell-ing, or as a place for the custody of property;
Fourthly.—Theft, mischief, or house-trespass, under such circum-stances as may reasonably cause apprehension that death or griev-ous hurt will be the consequence, if such right of private de-fence is not exercised.
IPC section 104 -- If the offence , the committing of which, or the attempting to commit which, occasions the exercise of the right of private defence, be theft, mischief, or criminal trespass, not of any of the descriptions enumerated in the last preceding section, that right does not extend to the voluntary causing of death, but does extend, subject to the restrictions mentioned in section 99, to the voluntary causing to the wrong -doer of any harm other than death.
IPC section 105 -- he Right of private defence of property commences when a reasonable apprehension of danger to the property commences.
The right of private defence of property against theft continues till the offender has effected his retreat with the property or either the assistance of the public authorities is obtained, or the property has been recovered.
The right of private defence of property against robbery continues as long as the offender causes or attempts to cause to any person death or hurt or wrongful restraint of as long as the fear of instant death or of instant hurt or of instant personal restraint continues.
The right of private defence of property against criminal trespass or mischief continues as long as the offender continues in the commission of criminal trespass or mischief.
The right of private defence of property against house-breaking by night continues as long as the house-trespass which has been begun by such house-breaking continues.
IPC section 106 -- If in the exercise of the right of private defense against an assault which reasonably causes the apprehension of death, the defender be so situated that he cannot effectually exercise that right without risk of harm to an innocent person his right or private defense extends to the running of that risk.
Illustration
A is attacked by a mob who attempt to murder him. He cannot effectually exercise his right of private defence without firing on the mob, and he cannot fire without risk of harming young children who are mingled with the mob. A commits no offense if by so firing he harms any of the children.
So you see the right of private defense/self defense is codified in Sections 96-106 IPC.
A gun is merely a tool, a means of exercising the right to self defense/private defense. It seems that first the people have to be convinced of their rights and of exercising them for their protection. Talking about Guns before that is unfortunately a taboo
But we won't introspect. We won't demand on the given rights. We won't question the paralytic system. We won't arm up with awareness and means.
