A genuinely new, named offence that didn't exist as such under the old law. When a group of five or more people, acting together, commits murder on grounds like race, caste or community, sex, place of birth, language, personal belief, or similar grounds, every member of that group can be individually punished with death or life imprisonment, plus a fine.
- Introduced directly in response to real-world mob-lynching incidents — earlier prosecutions had to rely on general murder/unlawful-assembly provisions rather than a purpose-built offence.
- Every member of the group faces the same punishment, not just whoever struck the fatal blow — the group's shared, discriminatory intent is what the law targets.
If a death results from a group attack targeting someone over their identity, this section — not just ordinary murder or rioting charges — is what should be invoked.
Related law
Rioting — the lesser, non-fatal group-violence offence this section sits alongside
Keep exploring
Murder
The most serious homicide charge — what separates it from lesser charges is the degree of intention and dangerousness involved, which is a matter courts scrutinise closely.
Rioting
This is what an unlawful assembly (Section 189) escalates into the moment actual force or violence is used — worth knowing if you're near a protest or gathering that turns violent.
Promoting Enmity Between Groups
Deliberately inciting communal or group hatred — including online — is a specific criminal offence, separate from and often charged alongside rioting or mob-lynching-related offences.
This is a plain-English summary, not verbatim statutory text. Adhikar is an independent citizen-awareness platform, not a Government of India website. Always verify against the bare Act (legislative.gov.in) or a qualified advocate before relying on this for an actual legal situation.