Section 506 IPC states the provisions of Punishment for committing the offence of Criminal Intimidation.
Section 506- Punishment for Criminal Intimidation
Criminal Intimidation as defined under Sec 506 IPC, states that “Whoever commits the offence of criminal intimidation shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years or with fine, or with both.
If threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, etc.- And if the threat be to cause death or grievous hurt, or to cause the destruction of any property by fire, or to cause an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or to impute, unchastity to a woman, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.
Criminal intimidation as defined under section 503 of the IPC means, where a person is induced by threatening him to perform any act or to abstain from doing any act which he is not legally bound to do or to omit.
The major ingredients of IPC 506 are :
If a person is induced or threatened to cause injury :
- To his reputation, property, or
- To any person related to him.
In the cases of criminal intimidation, the threat is caused by an intention to cause harm to the reputation of the person, any property. He is made to perform or omit to do any act which he is legally bound to do.
Sec 506 Indian Penal Code provides punishment for committing the offence of criminal intimidation. It clearly says that, in the cases of simple criminal intimidation, the term of punishment may extend to two years, or with the fine.
Whereas, in the cases where the threat is caused by an intention to cause the death of the person or to cause any kind of severe bodily injury, or if he threatens to cause the destruction of property by using the means of fire, such a person shall be held liable to punishment for a term of 7 years or fine or with both.
However, when a person with an intention to cause a threat to impute the unchastity of a woman, he shall be liable to punishment for a term which may be extended to a period of 7 years, or fine or with both.
For a better understanding of Section 506 Indian Penal Code, say for an example, if person A, who is the brother of Person B is induced or forced to do an act which he would have avoided in his own course of action, or have performed with his own will, such a person inducing person A will be liable to punishment for committing the offence of Criminal Intimidation.
