BNS Section 119

BNS Section 119 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) addresses the offense of voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt to extort property or to compel someone to commit an illegal act.

(1) Whoever voluntarily causes 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 which is illegal or which may facilitate the commission of an offence, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

(2) Whoever voluntarily causes grievous hurt for any purpose referred to in subsection (1), 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.

Key Points:
Voluntarily Causing Hurt or Grievous Hurt:
Hurt and grievous hurt in this section refer to physical harm inflicted on a person with the specific intent of either extorting property or forcing someone to commit an illegal act.

Purpose of Extortion:
The offense involves causing hurt for the purpose of:
Extorting property or valuable security: Forcing the victim or someone connected to the victim (e.g., family member or friend) to surrender money, property, or any valuable document.
Constraining to an illegal act: Coercing the victim or a person connected to the victim into committing an illegal act or facilitating the commission of an offense.

Property or Valuable Security:
Property refers to any material possession, including money, land, or goods.
Valuable security refers to a document that has monetary value or legal rights attached, such as a promissory note, bond, or title deed.

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