Criminal LawSection 224, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

BNS Section 224

What is the punishment for threatening a public servant to influence their actions?

Short answer

The offence is punishable by up to two years imprisonment, a fine, or both.

In detail

The law says that if anyone makes a threat of injury against a public servant, or against someone the servant cares about, with the aim of making that servant do something, or stop doing something, as part of their official duties, that person commits an offence. The threat must be intended to influence the servant’s actions related to their public role. The punishment for this offence can be a prison term of up to two years, a monetary fine, or both, at the court’s discretion. The provision does not require that the threatened injury actually happen; the mere making of the threat for the described purpose is enough for liability. This rule applies equally whether the threat is directed at the servant themselves or at a person the servant is believed to be interested in. The court may decide the exact fine or length of imprisonment based on the circumstances of each case.

Reviewed by LegalX Editorial · 3 September 2026View source

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