BNS Section 351: Criminal Intimidation (Old IPC 503, 506, 507)

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The old IPC Section 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) is now Section 351 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. One section now does the work of three IPC provisions: Section 351(1) defines the offence (old IPC 503), Sections 351(2) and 351(3) punish it (old IPC 506), and Section 351(4) covers anonymous threats (old IPC 507). Simple intimidation carries up to two years, a threat to kill or cause grievous hurt carries up to seven years, and all three punishment clauses are non-cognizable and bailable.

One section in place of three

The IPC spread criminal intimidation across Sections 503, 506 and 507. The BNS consolidates them into Section 351 with four sub-sections. When someone searches “506 IPC in BNS”, the precise answer is Section 351(2) for the basic offence and Section 351(3) for the aggravated form.

What is criminal intimidation? Section 351(1)

A person commits criminal intimidation when he threatens another with injury to that person’s body, reputation or property, or to the body or reputation of someone in whom that person is interested, and does so with one of these intentions:

• to cause alarm to the person threatened; or
• to make that person do something he is not legally bound to do; or
• to make that person omit something he is legally entitled to do, as the means of avoiding the threatened harm.

An Explanation adds that threatening to injure the reputation of a deceased person in whom the threatened person is interested also qualifies. The section’s illustration is easy to remember: A threatens to burn B’s house so that B drops a civil suit. A is guilty of criminal intimidation.

The ingredients in short

• A threat (by words, writing, gestures or conduct).
• Of injury to person, reputation or property of the victim or someone he cares about.
• With the specific intention described above. The intention is the heart of the offence.

Punishment: sub-sections (2), (3) and (4)

Section 351(2): basic intimidation

Imprisonment of either description up to two years, or fine, or both. This is the old first part of IPC 506.

Section 351(3): aggravated intimidation

Up to seven years, or fine, or both, where the threat is:

• to cause death or grievous hurt; or
• to destroy any property by fire; or
• to cause an offence punishable with death, life imprisonment or imprisonment up to seven years; or
• to impute unchastity to a woman.

This matches the old second part of IPC 506. “Jaan se maar denge” type threats fall here.

Section 351(4): anonymous threats

If the threat is made by anonymous communication, or the offender took steps to hide his name or where he lives, he can be given up to two additional years of imprisonment, over and above the punishment for criminal intimidation. This replaces IPC 507 and is directly relevant to threats sent from fake social media profiles or unknown numbers.

Old vs new: mapping and classification

Compounding: under Section 359(1) BNSS, offences under Sections 351(2) and 351(3) may be compounded by the person intimidated, without the court’s permission. Section 351(4) is not listed in the compounding tables.

What changed in the BNS

• Consolidation: three IPC sections are now one section with four sub-sections.
• Punishments unchanged: two years, seven years and the extra two years for anonymity are the same as under the IPC.
• Neighbouring offences renumbered: intentional insult to provoke breach of peace (old IPC 504) is now Section 352 BNS; statements conducing to public mischief (old IPC 505) is now Section 353 BNS. Section 351 and 352 are often charged together, as 504 and 506 were.

Case law to know

• Manik Taneja v. State of Karnataka (2015) 7 SCC 423: the Supreme Court quashed a criminal intimidation case arising from comments posted on the Facebook page of the traffic police. It stressed that a threat must be made with intent to cause alarm. Mere critical or harsh words without that intent do not make out the offence.
• Imran Pratapgadhi v. State of Gujarat, 2025 INSC 410 (decided 28 March 2025): though mainly about FIR registration, the Supreme Court said that where an offence turns on spoken or written words and carries three to seven years, police should generally use the preliminary enquiry route in Section 173(3) BNSS before registering an FIR. This matters because a threat case under Section 351(3) falls in that range, although 351 offences are non-cognizable and usually reach the police through a Magistrate’s order.

Received a threat? Practical steps

• Preserve the threat. Take screenshots with date and time, save call recordings and voice notes, and do not delete chats. For social media, note the profile link.
• Report to the police. Because intimidation is non-cognizable, the officer will record it under Section 174 BNSS and refer you to the Magistrate. If the threat comes with other cognizable offences (for example, extortion, stalking or assault on a woman), an FIR must be registered.
• Online threats: you can also report on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) or the helpline 1930.
• Approach the Magistrate. File a complaint before the Judicial Magistrate, who can take cognizance or direct police investigation.
• If the danger is immediate, call 112.

Exam angle

• Mapping: 503 to 351(1), 506 to 351(2) and 351(3), 507 to 351(4).
• 351(3) covers four aggravated threats: death or grievous hurt, fire to property, an offence punishable with death, life or up to 7 years, and imputing unchastity to a woman.
• All punishment clauses are non-cognizable and bailable. 351(2) is triable by any Magistrate; 351(3) and 351(4) by a Magistrate of the first class.
• Intent to cause alarm (or to compel or prevent an act) is essential; this is the Manik Taneja point.
• Old IPC 504 is now Section 352 BNS, not 351.

Quick quiz

Practise more

Section numbers under the BNS, BNSS and BSA are now asked in every law exam. Our New Criminal Laws Guide maps every IPC, CrPC and Evidence Act section to its new number, and the free AIBE XXII mock tests them under exam timing.

Sources

• Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Sections 351, 352 and 353 (official text as published on India Code)
• Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, First Schedule (classification of offences) and Section 359
• Supreme Court of India: Manik Taneja v. State of Karnataka (2015) 7 SCC 423
• Supreme Court of India: Imran Pratapgadhi v. State of Gujarat, 2025 INSC 410