This section only applies to organized criminal gangs demanding protection money.

It applies to anyone who causes hurt for the specific purpose of extorting property or forcing illegal conduct, regardless of whether it's an organized gang or an individual moneylender or private dispute.

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Section 327

repealed

Voluntarily causing hurt to extort property, or to constrain to an illegal to an act

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.§

Why this exists

This section addresses hurt caused with a specific coercive purpose, extorting money or property, or compelling illegal conduct, treating this as more serious than ordinary hurt because the violence is used as a tool to force a particular outcome from the victim. It reflects the law's concern with violence used instrumentally for extortion or coercion, distinct from hurt caused in anger or a spontaneous fight. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, this offence is now covered under Section 119(1).

Common misconceptions

Myth: This section only applies to organized criminal gangs demanding protection money.
Fact: It applies to anyone who causes hurt for the specific purpose of extorting property or forcing illegal conduct, regardless of whether it's an organized gang or an individual moneylender or private dispute.