IPC Section 388 In English

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, etc.—

Section

388

Punishment

Life Imprisonment or Imprisonment up to Ten Year(s) + Fine

Cognizable

Bailable

Non-bailable

Compoundable

Non-Compoundable (Refer to CrPC 320 for exceptions)

Trial Court

Court of Session

Bare Act Text

388. Extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, etc.— Whoever commits extortion by putting any person in fear of an accusation against that person or any other, of having committed or attempted to commit any offence punishable with death, or with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years or of having attempted to induce any other person to commit such 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; and, if the offence be one punishable under section 377 of this Code, may be punished with imprisonment for life.

What is IPC Section 388 ?

According to the official bare act, this legal offense is defined as: 388. Extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, etc.— Whoever commits extortion by putting any person in fear of an accusation against that person or any other, of having committed or attempted to commit any offence punishable with death, or with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years or of having attempted to induce any other person to commit such 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; and, if the offence be one punishable under section 377 of this Code, may be punished with imprisonment for life.

What is the punishment for Dhara 388 ?

The punishment for this specific offense is outlined under the law as: Life Imprisonment or Imprisonment up to Ten Year(s) + Fine

Is IPC 388 bailable or non-bailable?

Under the Indian Penal Code, this specific offense is classified as a Non-bailable offense.

Is Dhara 388 a cognizable offense?

The legal status regarding police arrest without a warrant is that this offense isCognizable.

Which court has the jurisdiction to try IPC 388 cases?

Cases pertaining to this specific IPC section are triable by the Court of Session.

Can IPC Section 388 be compromised (Compoundable)?

The compoundable nature of this offense, meaning whether the parties can settle it out of court, is classified as: Non-Compoundable (Refer to CrPC 320 for exceptions).

Disclaimer:

This article is for general legal information only and is not a substitute for professional legal advice. Please consult a qualified advocate for your specific case.

Pramod Editor-in-Chief

Pramod is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of StudyHub. He holds a Master's degree and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geology, alongside more than 7+ years spent building and verifying competitive exam content for Indian aspirants. He leads StudyHub's editorial process across Indian Polity, the Constitution, Indian Economy, History, Geography, Science, and the platform's other subject areas — checking every article against primary sources (bare act text and Gazette notifications for constitutional topics, government and Economic Survey data for economy content, standard reference material elsewhere) and flagging it for re-verification whenever a relevant amendment, policy, or data update makes an earlier version outdated.