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Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Of Wrongful Restraint and Wrongful Confinement (Ss 339-348) IPC

Section 339 - Wrongful Restraint - Whoever voluntarily obstructs any person so as to prevent that person from proceeding in any direction in which that person has a right to proceed, is said wrongfully to restrain that person.

Ingredients of the Section


1. A person must voluntarily obstruct another person.

2. Such obstruction must be with a view to prevent the other person from proceeding in any direction.

3. The other person must have a right to proceed in the direction which is obstructed.

4. If the above three conditions are fulfilled, there will be wrongful restraint.


 

Exception - The obstruction of a private way over land or water which a person in good faith believes himself to have a lawful right to obstruct, is not an offence within the meaning of this section.

 

Ingredients of the Exception


1. There must be an obstruction of a private way.

2. Such obstruction must be over land or water.

3. Such obstruction must be made by a person who in good faith believes himself to have a lawful right to obstruct.

4. If the above three conditions are fulfilled, there will be no wrongful restraint.

 

Illustration - A obstructs a path along which Z has a right to pass. A not believing in good faith that he has a right to stop the path. Z is thereby prevented from passing. A wrongfully restrains Z.

 

Punishment for Wrongful Restraint - Section 341 - Up to one month simple imprisonment or fine of Rs. 500/- or both.

 

Classification of Offence

 

- Cognizable

- Bailable

- Triable by any Magistrate

- Compoundable by the person restrained or confined

 

Section 340 - Wrongful Confinement - Whoever wrongfully restrains any person in such a manner as to prevent that person from proceeding beyond certain circumscribing limits, is said “wrongfully to confine” that person.

 

Ingredients


1. There must be wrongful restraint of a person.

2. The wrongful restraint must be such as to prevent that person from proceeding beyond certain circumscribing limits.

3. When the above two conditions are fulfilled, there will be wrongful confinement.

 

Illustrations

 

(a) A causes Z to go within a walled space, and locks Z in. A is thus prevented from proceeding in any direction beyond the circumscribing line of wall. A wrongfully confines Z.

(b) A places men with firearms at the outlets of a building and tells Z that they will fire at Z if Z attempts to leave the building. A wrongfully confines Z.

 

Punishment for Wrongful Confinement - Section 342 - Up to one year imprisonment of either description or fine of Rs. 1000/- or both.

 

Classification of Offence


- Cognizable

- Bailable

- Triable by any Magistrate

- Compoundable by the person restrained or confined

 

Types of Wrongful Confinement


Section 343 - Wrongful confinement for 3 or more days

 

Punishment - Up to two years imprisonment of either description or fine or both.

 

Classification of Offence


- Cognizable

- Bailable

- Triable by any Magistrate

- Compoundable by the person confined with the permission of the Court

 

Section 344 - Wrongful confinement for 10 or more days

 

Punishment - Up to three years imprisonment of either description and fine.

 

Classification of Offence


- Cognizable

- Bailable

- Triable by any Magistrate

- Compoundable by the person confined with the permission of the Court

 

Section 345 - Wrongful Confinement of person for whose liberation writ has been issued

 

Punishment - Up to two years imprisonment of either description in addition to any term of imprisonment to which he may be liable under any other section of Chapter XVI (Of offences affecting the Human Body)

 

Classification of Offence

 

- Cognizable

- Bailable

- Triable by Magistrate of the First Class

- Non-Compundable

 

Section 346 - Wrongful Confinement in Secret - Whoever wrongfully confines any person in such manner as to indicate an intention that the confinement of such person may not be known to any person interested in the person so confined, or to any public servant, or that the place of such confinement may not be known to or discovered by any such person or public servant hereinbefore mentioned...

 

Ingredients


1. There must be wrongful confinement of a person.

2. Such confinement must be with an intention that it may not be known or the place of such confinement may not be known or discovered.

3. The intention of concealing the knowledge of such confinement or the place of such confinement must be specifically directed against any person interested in the person confined or any public servant.

4. If the above three ingredients are fulfilled, there will be wrongful confinement in secret.

 

Punishment - Up to two years imprisonment of either description in addition to any other punishment to which he may be liable for such wrongful confinement.

 

Classification of Offence


- Cognizable

- Bailable

- Triable by Magistrate of the First Class

- Compoundable by the person confined with the permission of the court.

 

Section 347 - Wrongful Confinement to extort property, or constrain the illegal act - 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...

 

Ingredients

 

1. There must be wrongful confinement of a person.

2. Such wrongful confinement must be for the purpose of:

- Extorting any property or valuable security OR

- Constraining to do anything illegal OR

- Constraining to give any information which may facilitate the commission of an offence

from the person confined or any person interested in the person confined.

3. If the above conditions are fulfilled, there will be wrongful confinement to extort property, or constrain the illegal act.

 

Punishment - Up to three years imprisonment of either description and fine.

 

Classification of Offence

 

- Cognizable

- Bailable

- Triable by any Magistrate

- Non-Compoundable

 

Section 348 - Wrongful Confinement to extort confession or compel restoration of property - Whoever wrongfully confines any person for the purpose of extorting from the person confined or any person interested in the person confined any confession or any information which may lead to the detection of any offence or misconduct or for the purpose of constraining the person confined or any person interested in the person confined to restore or to cause the restoration of any property or valuable security or to satisfy any claim or demand or to give information which may lead to the restoration of any property or valuable security...

 

Ingredients

 

1. There must be wrongful confinement of a person.

2. Such wrongful confinement must be with a purpose of:

- Extorting any confession or any information which may lead to the detection of any offence or misconduct OR

- Constraining to:

  • restore or to cause the restoration of any property or valuable security
  • or to satisfy any claim or demand
  • or to give information which may lead to the restoration of any property or valuable security

from the person confined or any person interested in the person confined.

3. If the above conditions are fulfilled, there will be wrongful confinement to extort confession or compel restoration of property.

 

Punishment - Up to three years imprisonment of either description and fine.

 

Classification of Offence

 

- Cognizable

- Bailable

- Triable by any Magistrate

- Non-Compundable

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