Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Chapter XVII: Of Offences against Property · Of extortion
Section 386: Extortion by putting a person in fear of death on grievous hurt
The Indian Penal Code, 1860 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. It still applies to matters and proceedings from before that date, as the repealing law provides.
In plain words
Extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt to themselves or another is punishable with imprisonment of either description for up to ten years, and a fine.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
Whoever commits extortion by putting any person in fear of death or of grievous hurt to that person or to any other, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.
Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 386
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M/s Balaji Traders v. The State of U.P. & Anr.
Whether the High Court was justified in observing that since no offence of extortion u/s.383 IPC is made out, consequently, no offence u/s.387 IPC would be made out.
- Rajiv Seahrawat @ Raju v. State of NCT of Delhi & Ors
- Harish Jarwal Harish Kumar v. State of NCT of Delhi
- Leena Paulose v. Directorate of Enforcement & Anr
- Sunil Kumar v. State of NCT of Delhi
- Aftab Khan @ Bhura v. The State & Anr
- Bhawna Grover v. State Govt of NCT of Delhi & Ors
- Geetika Dahiya v. State of NCT of Delhi
- Avtar Singh Kocchar @ Dolly v. The State of NCT of Delhi
- Avtar Singh Kocchar @ Dolly v. Enforcement Directorate
- Jai Prakash Singhal v. Directorate of Enforcement
- Jai Prakash Singhal v. State of NCT of Delhi
- Pinky Irani v. Govt of NCT of Delhi
- Sohrab v. State Gnct of Delhi
- Pooja Singh v. Directorate of Enforcement
- B. Mohan Raj v. The State of NCT of Delhi
- Leena Paulose v. Statae of Delhi
- Kamlesh Kothari v. State (Nct of Delhi) & Anr
- Mukeshbhai Vallabhbhai Abhangi v. State of
- Abhishek v. State of Maharashtra & Ors
- The State of Maharashtra v. Pankaj Jagshi Gangar
- Kaptan Singh v. The State of Uttar Pradesh and Others
- Brajesh Singh v. Sunil Arora & Ors.
- Mla From Mau District, UP v. Jail Superintendent (Ropar) & Ors.
- Pradeep Ram v. The State of Jharkhand & Anr.
- Rakesh Kumar Paul v. State of Assam
- Vikram Singh@ Vicky &Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.
- Mrs. Priyankasrivastavaandanother v. State of U.P.And Others
- Saurabh Kumar Through His Father v. Jailor, Koneila Jail & Anr.
- Anjani Kumar Chaudhary v. State of Bihar and Another
- Yumman Ongbi Lembi Leima v. State of Manipur & Ors.
- State of Maharashtra v. Ravikant Shankarappa Patil & Ors.
- Abu Salem Abdul Qayoom Ansari v. State of Maharashtra & Anr.
- State of Maharashtra & Ors. v. Arun Gulab Gawali & Ors.
- Bhupinder Singh and Ors. v. Jarnail Singh and Anr.
- Deepak Kumar v. Ravi Virmani and Anr.
- Rajeev Chaudhary v. State (N.C.T.) of Delhi
- Ashok Kumar v. State of Rajasthan
- Raj Kumar Singh v. State of Bihar & Ors.
- Thakur Ram v. The State of Bihar