Essential elements of crime : The essential elements of crime in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) are as follows: 1- Human Being 2- Mens rea 3- Actus rea 4- Injury * Prohibited act * Punishment 1- Human being : The first element of crime is that it must be committed by a human being, as animals or non-living things cannot be held criminally liable. Section 11 of the IPC defines the word 'person' to include any company, association or body of persons, whether incorporated or not. 2- Mens rea : The second element of crime is the guilty mind or intention of the offender. Mens rea is derived from the maxim "actus non facit reum nisi mens sit rea", which means "an act does not make a person guilty unless the mind is also guilty". Mens rea can be of different degrees, such as intention, knowledge, reason to believe, recklessness or negligence. Mens rea is not always explicitly mentioned in the IPC, but it can be inferred from the words used in the definition...