BNS Section 351 — Criminal intimidation
CHAPTER XIX OF CRIMINAL INTIMIDATION, INSULT, ANNOYANCE, DEFAMATION, ETC.
Criminal
Summary
Sub-section (1) defines criminal intimidation. A person commits this offence when they threaten another person, by any means, with injury to that person's body, reputation, or property, or to the body or reputation of anyone in whom that person is interested. The threat must be made with the intent to cause alarm to the person threatened, or to force that person to do something they are not legally bound to do, or to stop them from doing something they are legally entitled to do, as a way of avoiding the threat being carried out.
The Explanation clarifies that a threat to injure the reputation of a deceased person, where the person threatened is interested in that deceased person, also falls within this section.
The Illustration gives an example: A threatens to burn B's house to make B drop a civil lawsuit. A is guilty of criminal intimidation.
Sub-section (2) sets the punishment for the basic offence of criminal intimidation. It is punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term up to two years, or with a fine, or with both.
Sub-section (3) covers aggravated forms of criminal intimidation. If the threat is to cause death or grievous hurt, or to destroy property by fire, or to commit an offence punishable with death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment up to seven years, or to impute unchastity to a woman, the punishment is imprisonment of either description for a term up to seven years, or with a fine, or with both.
Sub-section (4) adds an additional punishment when the threat is made through an anonymous communication, or when the person making the threat has taken precautions to conceal their name or address. In such cases, the offender is punished with imprisonment of either description for a term up to two years, in addition to the punishment provided for the offence under sub-section (1).
Official Text
(1) Whoever threatens another by any means, 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.
Explanation.—A threat to injure the reputation of any deceased person in whom the person threatened is interested, is within this section.
Illustration. A, for the purpose of inducing B to resist from prosecuting a civil suit, threatens to burn B’s house. A is guilty of criminal intimidation.
(2) 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.
(3) Whoever commits the offence of criminal intimidation by threatening 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.
(4) Whoever commits the offence of criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication, or having taken precaution to conceal the name or abode of the person from whom the threat comes, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, in addition to the punishment provided for the offence under sub-section (1).
Related Provisions
criminal intimidation
Related Judgments
- SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1309 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
- SC (2025) Vol.11 p.291 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
- SC (2025) Vol.9 p.283 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
- SC (2025) Vol.6 p.280 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
- SC (2024) Vol.8 p.670 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
- SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1531 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
- SC (2025) Vol.8 p.966 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
- SC (2025) Vol.2 p.80 — Supreme Court of India (2025)