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 do, or if he does 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.
Illustrations
- A sits dhurna at Z’ door with the intention of causing it to be believed that, by so sitting, he renders Z an object of Divine displeasure. A has committed the offence defined in this section.
- A threatens Z that, unless Z performs a certain act, A will kill one of A’ own children, under such circumstances that the killing would be believed to render Z an object of Divine displeasure. A has committed the offence defined in this section.
IPC Section 508: Simplified Explanation
IPC Section 508 addresses the offence of “Act caused by inducing a person to believe that he will be rendered an object of the Divine displeasure.” This section is designed to penalize individuals who induce someone else to do something or omit something they are legally entitled to do by making them believe that they will become objects of divine displeasure or spiritual harm if they do not comply. This law targets exploitation based on religious or spiritual beliefs.
Is IPC Section 508 bailable?
IPC Section 508 is bailable. This classification means that an individual accused under this section has the right to be released on bail, provided they meet the conditions set by the court.
IPC Section 508 Punishment
The punishment for an offence under IPC Section 508 is imprisonment for a term extending to one year, a fine, or both. This penalty aims to deter individuals from manipulating others’ religious or spiritual beliefs for personal gain or to coerce them into compliance.
Example of IPC Section 508
A real-life example of IPC Section 508 could involve a scenario where a spiritual leader tells a follower that unless they donate a significant sum of money to the spiritual organization, they will incur the wrath of a deity and suffer severe misfortunes. The follower, deeply believing in the spiritual threats, complies out of fear of divine displeasure. Upon realizing the manipulation, the follower reports the incident to the authorities, leading to the spiritual leader being charged under IPC Section 508 for exploiting religious beliefs to induce the follower into parting with their money.
