"In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a state or other authority. The term ""crime"" does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition, though statutory definitions have been provided for certain purposes. The most popular view is that crime is a category created by law; in other words, something is a crime if declared as such by the relevant and applicable law. One proposed definition is that a crime or offence (or criminal offence) is an act harmful not only to some individual but also to a community, society or the state (""a public wrong""). Such acts are forbidden and punishable by law.
The notion that acts such as murder, rape and theft are to be prohibited exists worldwide. What precisely is a criminal offence is defined by criminal law of each country. While many have a catalogue of crimes called the criminal code, in some common lawcountries no such comprehensive statute exists.
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Bipin Bhatt is an author, journalist, filmmaker and activist from the region of Assam. He has also authored Child and Human Rights: Concepts and Reality, Crime Against Women, Crime and Punishment in Ancient India, Crime in Tribal Setting. Bhatt was born in 1964 in Shillong. He is a Consulting Editor for the Statesman, and has previously worked for Associated Press and The New York Times. He has created many documentary films on the north eastern region.