INTRODUCTION

Chapter 22 of IPC deals with criminal intimidation, insult and annoyance. This consists of s 503
to s 510. Intimidation means putting a person in fear with a view to convince that person to enter
into a contract or to pay money, or to do or restrain from doing some act. The act of making one
fearful, by a declaration of an intention or determination to injure another by the commission of
some unlawful act. It includes any words or acts, intended to put any person in fear of any injury
or danger to himself or to any member of his family or to any person in his employment, or in
fear of any injury to or loss of property, business, employment, or means of living.
CRIMINAL INTIMIDATION
It is defined under section 503which reads as:
“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 such
threat, commits criminal intimidation.”
This section can be divided into two parts. First Part deals with the act of threatening another
person with injury to his person, reputation or property or to the person, reputation or property of
anyone in whom that person is interested. Second Part deals with the intent with which
threatening is done. Intent can be of two types. First, intent alarms the person threatened. Second,
intent causes that person to do any act which he is not legally bound to do or to omit to do
anything which that person is legally entitled to do.
Essentials of criminal intimidation
1. Threatening a person with an injury to his person, reputation or property (or to that of any
other person he has interest in); and
2. The threat must be with the intention to:
a) Cause alarm to that person; or
b) Cause that person to do something he is not legally bound to do for avoiding the
harm that may arise if he does not do it; or
c) Cause that person to do omit something he is legally bound to do for avoiding the
harm that may arise if he did it.
Punishment for Criminal Intimidation
It is given under s 506 IPC. If any person is guilty of an offence under Section 503, the court can
punish him with imprisonment up to 2 years. The court can even levy a fine for it. The offender
can receive greater punishment if he threatens the victim with severe consequences.
The offence under this Section is non-cognizable, bailable, compoundable, and triable by any
Magistrate. If threat IS to cause death or grievous hurt, etc., it is triable by Magistrate of the first
class.
INTENTIONAL INSULT WITH INTENTION TO PROVOKE BREACH OF PEACE
It is provided under s 504 IPC which says that any person who intentionally insults any other
person and thereby provokes that person by such insult, which he intends or knows that such
provocation will likely to cause such person to break public peace or may commit any other
offence, such offence is punishable under this section. It is a non-cognizable, bailable,
compoundable and triable by any magistrate.
It is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with
both.
STATEMENTS CONDUCING PUBLIC MISCHIEF
It is given under s 505 IPC which reads as:
Whoever makes, publishes or circulates any statement, rumour or report—
(a) With intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, any officer, soldier, sailor or airman in the
Army, Navy or Air Force of India to mutiny or otherwise disregard or fail in his duty as such; or
(b) With intent to cause, or which is likely to cause, fear or alarm to the public, or to any section
of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against the State or
against the public tranquility; or
(c) With intent to incite, or which is likely to incite, any class or community of persons to
commit any offence against any other class or community; shall be punished with imprisonment
which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
It is non-cognizable, non-bailable, non-compoundable and triable by any magistrate
Criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication:
Sec. 507 says that 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 by the last
preceding section.
Act caused by inducing to believe that he will be rendered an object of Divine displeasure:
Sec. 508 says that 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 omit, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend
to one year, or with fine, or with both.
Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman:
Sec. 509 says that 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, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one
year, or with fine, or with both.
Misconduct in public by a drunken person:
Sec. 510 says that 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, 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.
CASE LAWS
Madhu Lal Ahir Gayawal v. Sahai Pandey Dhani 1, In this case it was hed that charge of criminal
intimidation as defined under s 503 IPC is more graver than simple assault as defined under s
351 IPC.
Ghanshyam v. State of Madhya Pradesh2, the conviction of criminal intimidation was held valid
where the accused entered the house in the night carrying the knife and threatened the inmates to
kill them
Rajinder datt v. State of Haryana3, mere outburst of the accused at the time of commission of
another offence to kill will ot attract s 506 IPC
Romesh Chandra v. State4, accused was held liable for criminal intimidation for the intention to
harm appellant reputation and to harm his daughter

1
(1891) I.L.R. 19 Calc. 236
2
Ghanshyam v. State of Madhya Pradesh, 2019
3
1993 CriLJ 1025
4
1970 AIR 940