Indian Penal Code, 1860

IPC Chapter 22

CRIMINAL INTIMIDATION, INSULT AND ANNOYANCE

Section 503 — Criminal intimidation

India Code (official)

Offence

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.

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.

Section 505 — Statements conducing public mischief

India Code (official)

Offence

Whoever commits an offence specified in sub-section (2) in any place of worship or in any assembly engaged in the performance of religious worship or religious ceremonies,

Punishment

shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to five years and shall also be liable to fine.

  • See punishment clause in section text.

Section 507 — Criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication

India Code (official)

Offence

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,

Punishment

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 by the last preceding section.

  • Imprisonment: two years.

Section 508 — Act caused by inducing person to believe that he will be rendered an object of the Divine displeasure

India Code (official)

Offence

Whoever voluntarily causes or attempts to cause any person to do anything which that person is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do anything which he is legally entitled to do, by inducing or attempting to induce that person to believe that he or any person in whom he is interested will become or will be rendered by some act of the offender an object of Divine displeasure if he does not do the thing which it is the object of the offender to cause him to do, or if he does the thing which it is the object of the offender to cause him to omit,

Punishment

shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.

  • Imprisonment: one year.

Section 509 — Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman

India Code (official)

Offence

Whoever, intending to insult the modesty of any woman, utters any word, makes any sound or gesture, or exhibits any object, intending that such word or sound shall be heard, or that such gesture or object shall be seen, by such woman, or intrudes upon the privacy of such woman,

Punishment

shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, and also with fine1.

  • Imprisonment: three years.

Section 510 — Misconduct in public by a drunken person

India Code (official)

Offence

Whoever, in a state of intoxication, appears in any public place, or in any place which it is a trespass in him to enter, and there conducts himself in such a manner as to cause annoyance to any person,

Punishment

shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty-four hours, or with fine which may extend to ten rupees, or with both.

  • Imprisonment: twenty-four hours.
  • Fine: ten rupees.