Section 329 IPC: Voluntarily Causing Grievous Hurt to Extort Property or Compel an Illegal Act
Section 329 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, addresses the aggravated offence of intentionally causing grievous hurt to extort property or valuable security, or to compel an illegal act. Its broadly corresponding provision under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, is Section 119(2).
Section 329 IPC: Original statutory text
329. Voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal act. Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt for the purpose of extorting from the sufferer or from any person interested in the sufferer any property or valuable security, or of constraining the sufferer or any person interested in such sufferer to do anything that is illegal or which may facilitate the commission of an offence, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
The above preserves the original statutory wording. The prohibited purpose may relate to the injured person or to another person interested in that person.
Section 119(2) BNS: Corresponding current law
Section 119 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 covers voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to extort property, or to constrain someone to an illegal act. Subsection (1) deals with ordinary hurt; subsection (2) covers grievous hurt. The punishment under subsection (2) is imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for a term that may extend to ten years, and liability to fine.
The section should be read with Section 116 BNS, which defines grievous hurt, and Section 117(1) BNS, which describes voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
Essential ingredients of the offence
- Actual grievous hurt: The victim must have sustained an injury satisfying a statutory category of grievous hurt, not merely ordinary hurt.
- Voluntary causation: The accused must have caused the injury with the intention or knowledge required by the legal definition of voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
- Prohibited objective: The grievous hurt must be caused for the purpose of extorting property or valuable security, or compelling the injured person or someone interested in that person to do something illegal or facilitating an offence.
- Connection between hurt and purpose: Evidence must support the connection between the infliction of grievous hurt and the alleged extortion or compulsion.
The offence concerns the purpose for which grievous hurt is inflicted. It does not necessarily require proof that the property was ultimately obtained or that the illegal act was completed.
Important legal definitions
Grievous hurt
Section 320 IPC and Section 116 BNS enumerate grievous injuries, including permanent deprivation of sight or hearing, loss or permanent impairment of a member or joint, permanent disfiguration of the head or face, and fracture or dislocation of a bone or tooth. They also specify serious injuries that endanger life or meet statutory pain or incapacity criteria. The duration in the eighth category is twenty days under the IPC and fifteen days under the BNS.
Voluntarily causing grievous hurt
Section 322 IPC and Section 117(1) BNS explain the relevant intention or knowledge and resulting grievous injury.
Property and valuable security
Property is the subject of the extortion objective. A valuable security is a document of legal significance creating, extending, transferring, restricting, extinguishing or releasing a legal right, or acknowledging a legal liability or absence of a legal right; see the statutory definition in Section 30 IPC and the corresponding BNS definition.
Illegal act or facilitating an offence
The provision also covers using grievous hurt to compel an act that is illegal or may facilitate an offence. The compelled conduct need not be a transfer of money or property.
Punishment under Section 329 IPC and Section 119(2) BNS
| Issue | Section 329 IPC | Section 119(2) BNS |
|---|---|---|
| Conduct | Grievous hurt to extort property or compel an illegal act | Corresponding aggravated grievous-hurt offence |
| Imprisonment | Life imprisonment, or imprisonment of either description up to ten years | Life imprisonment, or imprisonment of either description up to ten years |
| Fine | Also liable to fine | Also liable to fine |
| Definition of grievous hurt | Section 320 IPC | Section 116 BNS |
| Voluntarily causing grievous hurt | Section 322 IPC | Section 117(1) BNS |
| General commencement | Relevant to offences before 1 July 2024 | Generally applies from 1 July 2024 |
The ten-year term is an alternative maximum for a term of imprisonment; the law also expressly allows life imprisonment. A fine is additionally contemplated under both provisions.
Illustrative situations
- Demand for money: A person deliberately inflicts a fracture to force the victim to hand over money. The facts may attract this provision if the required intention, injury and extortion purpose are proved.
- Compelling another person: An accused causes grievous hurt to one person to force a relative to surrender valuable security. The statute expressly covers a person interested in the sufferer.
- Forcing an unlawful act: Grievous injury is inflicted to force someone to assist in committing an offence. The illegal-compulsion limb may be relevant.
These are explanatory hypotheticals, not statements that every such allegation automatically proves the offence.
How Section 329 differs from nearby offences
- Section 327 IPC addresses ordinary hurt for extortion or unlawful compulsion; its BNS counterpart is Section 119(1).
- Section 325 IPC addresses general voluntarily causing grievous hurt, without the special extortion or compulsion purpose.
- Section 326 IPC addresses grievous hurt caused by dangerous weapons or means.
- Section 330 IPC separately concerns hurt to extort confession or compel restoration of property.
- Section 328 IPC concerns administration of poison or specified substances with the required intent or knowledge.
Evidence and legal assessment
Medical records, radiology reports, injury certificates, witness accounts, communications containing demands, financial or document records, and other admissible evidence may help establish the grievous injury and the alleged objective. Whether the offence is proved depends on the complete evidence and applicable procedural law.
Frequently asked questions
What is Section 329 IPC?
It punishes voluntarily causing grievous hurt to extort property or valuable security, or to compel the victim or an interested person to do something illegal or facilitating an offence.
What is the punishment under Section 329 IPC?
Imprisonment for life, or imprisonment of either description for up to ten years, and liability to fine.
Which BNS section corresponds to IPC Section 329?
Section 119(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, broadly corresponds to Section 329 IPC. BNS Section 329 itself concerns criminal trespass and house-trespass.
How does Section 329 differ from Section 327 IPC?
Section 327 concerns voluntarily causing hurt for the prohibited purpose, whereas Section 329 requires grievous hurt and carries a higher maximum punishment.
Must property actually be handed over?
The provision focuses on causing grievous hurt for the prohibited purpose. Actual transfer of property is not necessarily an ingredient of this specific offence.
Does Section 329 IPC apply after 1 July 2024?
For conduct on or after 1 July 2024, the BNS generally applies; the IPC remains relevant to earlier offences, subject to savings and transitional law.
Official legal sources
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 - India Code official Act PDF (Sections 116, 117 and 119).
- India Code - Government of India legislative database (Indian Penal Code, 1860, including Sections 320, 322, 327 and 329).
- Ministry of Home Affairs (criminal-law notifications and commencement information).
Updated 30 October 2026. This material is general legal information and does not substitute for case-specific advice. Check the law applicable on the date of the alleged conduct.