Penalty for molestation

Whoever molests, or abets the molestation of, a debtor for the recovery of a debt due by him to a creditor shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment which may extend to ten years or with fine which may extend to five lakh rupees or with both. Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, a person who, with intent to cause another person to abstain from doing any act which he has a right to do or to do any act which he has a right to abstain from doing,— (a) obstructs or uses violence to or intimidates such other person, or (b) persistently follows such other person from place to place or interferes with any property owned or used by him or deprives him of, or hinders him in, the use of any such property, or (c) loiters at or near a house or other place where such other person resides or works, or carries on business, or happens to be, or (d) does any act calculated to annoy or intimidate such other person or the members of his family, or (e) moves or acts in a manner which causes or is calculated to cause alarm or danger to the person or property of such other person, -shall be deemed to molest such other person: Provided that a person who goes to the house or place referred to in clause (c) in order merely to obtain or communicate information shall not be deemed to molest. In section 38 of the Principal Act,- (a) for the words “one year”, the words “ten years”, shall be substituted; and (b) for the words “fifty thousand”, the words “five lakh”, shall be substituted.