Criminal Intimidation, Insult
&
Annoyance
Sections 503-510
Section 503: Criminal Intimidation
The essential ingredients of this section are;
Any person who,
Threatens a person with injury to his person, reputation or property or, the person or reputation in whom that
person is interested
Intention:
To cause alarm to that person
To cause the person to do an act which he is not legally bound to do as a means of avoiding execution of such
threat
Cause a person to omit to do an act which that person is legally entitled to do as a means of avoiding execution
of such threat
Explanation: A threat to injure the reputation of a deceased person in whom such person is interested is within
this section.
Section 506: Punishment: Criminal
Intimidation
Anyone who commits criminal intimidation shall be punished with, 2 years
or fine or both
If the threat is to cause, Death, Grievous Hurt, Destruction of any property
by fire, or to cause any offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life
or uptoseven years: Upto7 years
If the threat is to impute chastity to a woman, Punishment
- 7years or fine or
both
Criminal Intimidation and Extortion:
Criminal Intimidation is analogous to Extortion. In Extortion the immediate purpose is obtaining
property or valuable security; in criminal intimidation, the immediate purpose is to induce the person
threatened to do, or abstain from doing, something which he was not legally bound to do or omit.
THREAT TO COMMIT SUICIDE
Kolla Srinivas v. State of AP
In this case, the accused had contracted with the Petitioner to buy paddy. After the delivery of the
paddy, when the complainant demanded the amount, the accused threatened that he would commit
suicide by stabbing himself, with the intention to cause alarm to the complainant. And that it would
desist him from taking any legal action to which he is entitled. The Court held that this amounted to
intimidation under Section 503 IPC.
Mangesh Jivaji
The accused sent a fabricated petition to the Revenue Commissioner, containing a
threat that if a certain Forest Officer were not removed elsewhere he would be
killed. It was found that the Commissioner had neither official nor personal interest
in the Forest Officer. So, it was held that the act of the accused did not amount to
criminal intimidation.
Ghanshyam v. State of MP
Where the person entered the victim’s house at midnight armed with a knife and
threatened with death anyone who came between himself and the victim, the offence
under this section was held to be made out.
Section 504: Insult-Breach of peace
This section applies to anyone
who intentionally insults and
gives provocation to any person
Punishment: 2 years or fine or
knowing that such provocation
both
will cause or is likely to cause
him to break the public peace or
to commit any offence.
Section 505: Statements-Public Mischief
Intention: cause fear or
Intention: cause an officer,
alarm to the public or any
Act: Anyone who makes, soldier, sailor or airman in
section of public where a
publishes or circulates any Army, Navy or Air Force
person may be induced to
statement, rumour or of India to mutiny or
commit an offence against
report- disregard or fail in his duty
the State or against public
OR
tranquillity OR
Intention: to incite any
class or community of
Punishment: 3years or with
persons to commit an
fine or both
offence against any other
class or community.
II. Anyone who makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or
report-
• Intention: to create feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between religion,
race, language regional groups or caste or communities on the grounds of
religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community
Punishment: 3 years or with fine or both
III. If the above offence is committed in any place of worship or any
assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious
ceremonies
Punishment: 5 years or fine or both
If the person making,
publishing or circulating such
statement, rumour or report
EXCEPTION:
has reasonable grounds for
believing that it is true and
makes in good faith, no
offence is made out as per
this section.
Section 507: Criminal Intimidation-Anonymous
Any who commits
Punishment: as per
criminal
section 506 + 2years
intimidation,
Having taken
By an anonymous precaution to
communication conceal the name or
abode of that person
Section 508: Induce-Divine Displeasure
This section punishes anyone who
voluntarily causes a person to do
anything which that person is not
legally bound to do or omit to do
something which he is entitled to do to Punishment: 1 year or fine or both
induce that if he doesn’t do it such
person or the person in whom he or
she is interested will be rendered an
object of divine displeasure.
Section 509: Insult-modesty of woman
Intention to insult the modesty of a
woman
by uttering any word or making
any sound or gesture or exhibiting
The essential ingredients are:
any object intending that such
woman shall see or hear it
The insult must be caused-
Punishment: Simple Imprisonment by intruding upon the privacy of a
for 3years and Fine woman
Section 510: Misconduct-In public-By
Drunken person
any public place
Appearance of a person in a
state of intoxication in
any place which is a trespass
for him to enter
The person so appearing must
This section requires two have conducted himself in
things; such a manner so as to cause
annoyance to any person
Punishment: Up to 24 hours
and ten rupees
