## Definition and Legal Framework **Key Point:** Section 375 IPC defines rape and establishes the legal criteria for the offence. It specifies that rape is sexual intercourse by a man with a woman against her will, without her consent, or in circumstances where consent is vitiated. ### Elements of Section 375 IPC 1. **Perpetrator:** A man 2. **Victim:** A woman 3. **Act:** Penetration (however slight) of the vagina, urethra, or anus by the penis, or insertion of any object or part of the body into the vagina, urethra, or anus 4. **Consent Status:** Against her will or without her consent 5. **Vitiating Factors:** Consent obtained by force, fear, fraud, or when the woman is incapable of giving consent (unconscious, unsound mind, intoxicated) **High-Yield:** Section 375 is the **definitional section** for rape; Section 376 specifies **punishment** (imprisonment and/or fine). This distinction is critical for NEET PG exams. ### Related Sections | Section | Purpose | |---------|----------| | 375 | Definition of rape | | 376 | Punishment for rape | | 377 | Unnatural offences (sodomy, bestiality) | | 354 | Assault or criminal force with intent to outrage modesty | **Clinical Pearl:** In medical examination of rape victims, documentation must specifically reference Section 375 criteria to establish whether the alleged act constitutes rape under law. 
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