Whoever wrongfully confines any person for the purpose of extorting from the person confined, or from any person interested in the person confined, any property or valuable security or of constraining the person confined or any person interested in such person to do anything illegal or to give any information which may facilitate the commission of an offence, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine.
IPC Section 347: Simplified Explanation
IPC Section 347 of the Indian Penal Code deals with the offence of “wrongful confinement to extort property or valuable security, or for constraining to an illegal act.” This section applies when an individual wrongfully confines another person intending to extort property or valuable security, compel the victim to commit an illegal act or abstain from doing something they are legally entitled to do.
Key elements of this section include:
- Wrongful Confinement: The person must wrongfully confine another, restricting their freedom to move beyond certain limits.
- Purpose: The confinement must intend to extort valuable property security or to compel the person to perform or abstain from performing an act against their will.
Is IPC Section 347 Bailable?
IPC Section 347 is a non-bailable offence. Given the serious nature of the offence involving extortion or coercion through confinement, the accused must appear before a court to seek bail.
IPC Section 347 Punishment
The punishment under IPC Section 347 for wrongful confinement to extort property or valuable security or for constraining to an illegal act includes:
- Imprisonment for a term that may extend to three years,
- And also liable to a fine.
The punishment reflects the serious nature of using wrongful confinement to extort or coerce someone.
Example of IPC Section 347
A real-life example of IPC Section 347 involved a case where a group of criminals kidnapped a businessman and confined him in a hidden location, demanding a large sum of money and valuable property deeds from his family. The businessman was held for several days under threat and duress until his family complied with some of the demands. The criminals were later apprehended and charged under IPC Section 347 for wrongful confinement with the intent to extort property. This case highlighted the severity of the offence and the legal consequences of using confinement to extract property or force someone into illegal actions unlawfully.
