Kidnapping or maiming a minor for purposes of begging
AI Assist
Summary
Kidnapping or obtaining custody of a minor to make them beg is punishable with up to ten years imprisonment and a fine. Maiming a minor to force them to beg attracts life imprisonment and a fine. If a person who is not the lawful guardian employs a minor for begging, it is presumed they obtained custody for that purpose unless disproved. "Begging" and the minor ages are specially defined.
Example
Arjun, not Rohan's lawful guardian, takes 15-year-old Rohan to a busy railway station and forces him to beg. The law will presume Arjun obtained Rohan's custody to make him beg, so Arjun can face up to ten years imprisonment and a fine; if Arjun had maimed Rohan to make him beg, the punishment would be life imprisonment and a fine.
Bare Act
Enacted text(1) Whoever kidnaps any minor or, not being the lawful guardian of a minor, obtains the custody of the minor, in order that such minor may be employed or used for the purposes of begging shall be punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
(2) Whoever maims any minor in order that such minor may be employed or used for the purposes of begging shall be punishable with imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.
(3) Where any person, not being the lawful guardian of a minor, employs or uses such minor for the purposes of begging, it shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proved, that he kidnapped or otherwise obtained the custody of that minor in order that the minor might be employed or used for the purposes of begging.
(4) In this section
- (a) “begging” means
(i) soliciting or receiving alms in a public place, whether under the pretence of singing, dancing, fortunetelling, performing tricks or selling articles or otherwise;
(ii) entering on any private premises for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms;
(iii) exposing or exhibiting, with the object of obtaining or extorting alms, any sore, wound, injury, deformity or disease, whether of himself or of any other person or of an animal;
(iv) using a minor as an exhibit for the purpose of soliciting or receiving alms;
(b) “minor” means
(i) in the case of a male, a person under sixteen years of age; and
(ii) in the case of a female, a person under eighteen years of age.
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