BNS 2023Chapter XIXIPC: IPC Section 503
Section 351
Criminal Intimidation
Criminal Intimidation, Insult and Annoyance
Plain English Explanation
Criminal intimidation means threatening someone with injury (physical, reputational, or to property) to cause alarm or force them to do/not do something. This includes threats by phone, message, email, or in person. Punishment: up to 2 years + fine. Threatening with death or grievous hurt: up to 7 years + fine.
Legal Text
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Section 351
(1) Whoever threatens another with any injury to his person, reputation or property, or to the person or reputation of any one in whom that person is interested, with intent to cause alarm to that person, or to cause that person to do any act which he is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do any act which that person is legally entitled to do, as the means of avoiding the execution of such threat, commits "criminal intimidation".
Keywords
criminal intimidationthreatsthreat messagescoercionalarmWhatsApp threats
Punishment
Up to 2 years or fine or both. Threatening death/grievous hurt: up to 7 years + fine.
IPC Equivalent
IPC Section 503
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