Extortion is a theft crime involving coercion to obtain money, property, or services from a victim. Like extortion, blackmail is classified as a theft crime, but it involves making a threat instead of coercion and is usually charged as a felony.
Extortion is both a tort and a crime and is perhaps far more common than most of us think.
Usually, it is threat of violence or reporting a matter to a public agency or the media that can create allegations of extortion.
Extortion can include threats of physical harm, criminal prosecution, or public exposure if the amount or valuable demanded by a person is not transferred. It can become a federal violation of the law also if perpetrated across a computer system, phone, by mail, or in using any instrument of interstate commerce.
Ingredients –
》Intentionally putting someone in fear of injury to himself or another
》 Dishonestly inducing the person to put in fear in order to deliver to any person any property or valuable security.
section 383 defines Extortion as Whoever intentionally puts any person in fear of any injury to that person, or to any other, and thereby dishonestly induces the person so put in fear to deliver to any person any property or valuable security, or anything signed or sealed which may be converted into a valuable security, commits “extortion”
Section 384 IPC deals with punishment of extortion which reads as : “Whoever commits extortion shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both”.
Section 385 IPC deals with Putting person in fear of injury in order to commit extortion. —Whoever, in order to the committing of extortion, puts any person in fear, or attempts to put any person in fear, of any injury, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Section 386 deals with Extortion by putting a person in fear of death or grievous hurt. —Whoever commits extortion by putting any person in fear of death or of grievous hurt o that person or to any other, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 387 deals with putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion – in that case he shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Section 388 states that whoever causes grievous hurt to any person by doing any act so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life, or the personal safety of others, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.
Section 389 relates to putting or attempts to put any person in fear of an accusation in order to commit extortion.
