Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 389
repealedPutting person in fear or accusation of offence, in order to commit extortion
Whoever, in order to the committing of extortion, puts or attempts to put any person in fear of an accusation, against that person or any other, of having committed, or attempted to commit, an offence punishable with death or with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years, 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 covers the attempt stage of the offence in the previous section, punishing the mere act of threatening a false accusation of a very serious crime for the purpose of extortion, even before any money or property has actually been obtained. It ensures that someone who tries this manipulative scheme cannot escape punishment simply because the victim refused to pay or the plan was stopped in time. A similar provision continues under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which replaced the Indian Penal Code in 2024.