Chapter 27

ROBBERY AND EXTORTION.

285. Definition of robbery.

Any person who steals anything and at or immediately before or immediately after the time of stealing it uses or threatens to use actual violence to any person or property in order to obtain or retain the thing stolen or to prevent or overcome resistance to its being stolen or retained commits the felony termed robbery.

286. Punishment for robbery.

(1) Any person who commits the felony of robbery is liable— (a) on conviction by a magistrate’s court, to imprisonment for ten years;

(b) on conviction by the High Court, to imprisonment for life.

(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1)(b), where at the time of, or immediately before, or immediately after the time of the robbery, an offender uses or threatens to use a deadly weapon or causes death or grievous harm to any person, such offender and any other person jointly concerned in committing such robbery shall, on conviction by the High Court, be sentenced to death.

(3) In subsection (2), “deadly weapon” includes any instrument made or adapted for shooting, stabbing or cutting and any instrument which, when used for offensive purposes, is likely to cause death.

(4) Notwithstanding section 126 of the Trial on Indictments Act, where a person is convicted of the felony of robbery the court shall, unless the offender is sentenced to death, order the person convicted to pay such sum by way of compensation to any person to the prejudice of whom the robbery was committed, as in the opinion of the court is just having regard to the injury or loss suffered by such person, and any such order shall be deemed to be a decree and may be executed in the manner provided by the Civil Procedure Act.

287. Attempted robbery.

(1) Any person who assaults any other person with intent to steal anything and at, immediately before or immediately after the assault, uses or threatens to use actual violence to any person or property in order to obtain the thing intended to be stolen or to prevent or overcome resistance to its being stolen commits a felony.

(2) Any person who commits a felony under this section is liable—

(a) on conviction by a magistrate’s court, to imprisonment for seven years;

(b) on conviction by the High Court, to imprisonment for life.

288. Corporal punishment.

Without prejudice to anything contained in any written law, any person who is sentenced to a term of imprisonment under section 286 or 287 shall, in addition, be sentenced to corporal punishment.

289. Assault with intent to steal.

Any person who assaults any person with intent to steal anything commits a felony and is liable to imprisonment for five years.

290. Demanding property by written threats.

Any person who, with intent to extort or gain anything from any person, and knowing the contents of the writing, causes any person to receive any writing demanding anything from any person without reasonable or probable cause, and containing threats of any injury or detriment of any kind to be caused to any person, either by the offender or any other person, if the demand is not complied with, commits a felony and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.

291. Attempts at extortion by threats.

(1) Any person who, with intent to extort or gain anything from any person—

(a) accuses or threatens to accuse any person of committing any felony or misdemeanour, or of offering or making any solicitation or threat to any person as an inducement to commit or permit the commission of a felony or misdemeanour;

(b) threatens that any person shall be accused by any other person of any felony or misdemeanour, or of any such act; or

(c) knowing the contents of the writing, causes any person to receive any writing containing any such accusation or threat as aforesaid, commits a felony, and if the accusation or threat of accusation is of—

(d) an offence for which the punishment of death or imprisonment for life may be inflicted;

(e) any of the offences defined in Chapter XIV of this Code, or an attempt to commit any of such offences;

(f) an assault with intent to have carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature, or an unlawful and indecent assault upon a male person; or

(g) a solicitation or threat offered or made to any person as an inducement to commit or permit the commission of any of the offences set out in this subsection, the offender is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years, and in any other case to imprisonment for three years.

(2) It is immaterial whether the person accused or threatened to be accused has or has not committed the offence or act of which he or she is accused or threatened to be accused.

292. Procuring execution of deeds, etc. by threats.

Any person who, with intent to defraud, and by means of any unlawful violence to, or restraint of, the person of another, or by means of any threat of violence or restraint to be used to the person of another, or by means of accusing or threatening to accuse any person of committing any felony or misdemeanour, or by offering or making any solicitation or threat to any person as an inducement to commit or permit the commission of any offence, compels or induces any person— (a) to execute, make, accept, endorse, alter or destroy the whole or any part of any valuable security; or

(b) to write any name or impress or affix any seal upon or to any paper or parchment, in order that it may be afterwards made or converted into or used or dealt with as a valuable security, commits a felony and is liable to imprisonment for fourteen years.

293. Demanding property with menaces.

Any person who, with intent to steal any valuable thing, demands it from any person with menaces or force, commits a felony and is liable to imprisonment for five years.