Whoever intentionally puts any person in fear of any injury to that person or to any other2008harm to that person or to any other person, in body, mind, reputation or property, whether such harm is to be caused legally or illegally2008, and thereby dishonestly induces the person so put in fear to deliver to any person any property or valuable security, or anything signed or sealed which may be converted into a valuable security, commits “extortion”.
Section history
Section 383 — Extortion
Consolidated view is experimental and may be broken for certain provisions.
Amendments
Illustrations
(a) A threatens to publish a defamatory libel concerning Z, unless Z gives him money. He thus induces Z to give him money. A has committed extortion.
(b) A threatens Z that he will keep Z’s child in wrongful confinement, unless Z will sign and deliver to A a promissory note binding Z to pay certain moneys to A. Z signs and delivers the note. A has committed extortion.
Illustration (c) — Original text to 1 February 2008superseded
(c) A threatens to send men to plough up Z’s field, unless Z will sign and deliver to B a bond, binding Z under a penalty to deliver certain produce to B, and thereby induces Z to sign and deliver the bond. A has committed extortion.
Illustration (c) — From 1 February 2008 (current)rewritten by Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2007
(c) A, an enforcement officer, sees Z committing an offence, and threatens to report the offence unless Z gives him money. Z fears that the report may result in his being prosecuted for the offence and delivers money to A. A has committed extortion.
(d) A, by putting Z in fear of grievous hurt, dishonestly induces Z to sign or affix his seal to a blank paper and deliver it to A. Z signs and delivers the paper to A. Here, as the paper so signed may be converted into a valuable security, A has committed extortion.