OF CONTEMPTS OF THE LAWFUL AUTHORITY OF PUBLIC SERVANTSCentral

Section 224 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

Whoever holds out any threat of injury to any public servant, or to any person in whom he believes that public servant to be interested, for the purpose of inducing that public servant to do any act, or to forbear or delay to do any act, connected with the exercise of the public functions of such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.

Summary

It is illegal to threaten a public servant with injury.
The threat can be directed at the public servant or someone they care about.
The purpose of the threat must be to influence the public servant's official duties.
The offense covers inducing a public servant to act, delay, or refrain from acting.
Violations are punishable by up to two years in prison, a fine, or both.

Practical examples

1Karan's shop is scheduled for a municipal inspection. He visits the inspector's office and threatens to smash the inspector's car if the inspector does not skip his shop, aiming to delay the official visit.

2Preeti wants her building plan approved quickly. She calls the city engineer and threatens to burn down his cousin's grocery store unless the engineer signs her permit immediately.

FAQ

1. What is the maximum penalty for threatening a public servant under Section 224?

The penalty is imprisonment of either description for a term that may extend to two years, a fine, or both.

2. Does the law only protect the public servant from threats?

No, the law also covers threats made against any person in whom the public servant is believed to be interested.

3. What intent must be proven to charge someone under this section?

It must be proven that the threat was made to induce the public servant to perform, delay, or refrain from performing an act connected to their public functions.

Test yourself

Q1.Under Section 224 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, what is the maximum imprisonment for threatening a public servant to influence their official work?

Q2.Under Section 224 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, if a threat of injury is directed at a third party rather than the public servant directly, under what condition is it still an offence?

Q3.Under Section 224 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, what must be the offender's purpose to establish a crime under this section?

Q4.Under Section 224 of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, what kind of punishment may be awarded in addition to or instead of imprisonment?

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