Section112. (1) Whoever, being a member of a group or gang, either singly or jointly, commits any act of theft, snatching, cheating, unauthorised selling of tickets, unauthorised betting or gambling, selling of public examination question papers or any other similar criminal act, is said to commit petty organised crime.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this sub-section "theft" includes trick theft, theft from vehicle, dwelling house or business premises, cargo theft, pick pocketing, theft through card skimming, shoplifting and theft of Automated Teller Machine.
(2) Whoever commits any petty organised crime shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Summery of the Offence :
The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023 outlines different categories of crimes, including petty organized crime. Here is a simplified explanation of what constitutes petty organized crime, in points:
1.Small-scale Criminal Activities: Petty organized crime refers to smaller, less serious illegal activities that are planned and carried out by a group.
2.Group Involvement: These crimes are usually committed by a small group of people who work together.
3.Examples of Activities:
a.Theft or small-scale robbery
b.Minor fraud or scams
c.Vandalism or property damage
d. Selling small quantities of illegal goods
4.Organized but Not Major: While these activities are organized, they do not involve the extensive planning or resources seen in more serious organized crime, like large-scale drug trafficking or major fraud schemes.
5.Legal Consequences: Even though these crimes are considered less severe, they still carry legal penalties, which might include fines, community service, or short-term imprisonment.
6.Purpose: The goal of addressing petty organized crime is to prevent small crimes from escalating into more serious offenses and to maintain public order.
This summary captures the essence of what petty organized crime entails according to the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023