Section 351 of BNS : Section 351: Criminal intimidation.

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Ravi is a local businessman who has a dispute with his neighbor, Suresh, over a piece of land. To scare Suresh into giving up his claim, Ravi sends a letter to Suresh threatening to harm Suresh's family if he does not withdraw his legal claim. Suresh, fearing for his family's safety, considers dropping the case. Ravi's actions constitute criminal intimidation under Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023.

Example 2:

Priya is a journalist who has written an article exposing corruption in a local government office. The corrupt official, Mr. Sharma, calls Priya and threatens to ruin her reputation by spreading false rumors about her personal life if she does not retract the article. Priya, alarmed by the threat, contemplates retracting her article. Mr. Sharma's threat to harm Priya's reputation is an act of criminal intimidation under Section 351.

Example 3:

An anonymous person sends a threatening email to Rajesh, a software engineer, stating that his house will be set on fire if he does not pay a certain amount of money. Rajesh, unable to identify the sender, is terrified and considers paying the money to avoid the threat. The anonymous threat to destroy Rajesh's property by fire is criminal intimidation under Section 351, and the anonymity of the sender adds to the severity of the offense.

Example 4:

Sunita, a college student, receives a message from an unknown number threatening to release morphed photos of her on social media unless she stops participating in a student protest. Sunita, fearing damage to her reputation, thinks about quitting the protest. The threat to harm Sunita's reputation through false images is criminal intimidation under Section 351, and the use of an unknown number makes it a more serious offense.

Example 5:

Vikram, a shop owner, is approached by a local gangster, Ramesh, who demands protection money. When Vikram refuses, Ramesh threatens to kill Vikram's family if he does not comply. Vikram, alarmed by the threat, considers paying the money. Ramesh's threat to cause death to Vikram's family is a severe form of criminal intimidation under Section 351, punishable with imprisonment for up to seven years.