Legal Provisions of Section 439 of Indian Penal Code, 1860.
Punishment for intentionally running vessel aground or ashore with intent to commit theft, etc:
This section provides punishment for intentionally running a vessel aground with intent to commit theft or criminal misappropriation etc. It states that whoever intentionally runs any vessel aground or ashore, with the intention to commit theft of any property contained in the vessel or to dishonestly misappropriate any such property, or with the intention that such theft or misappropriation of property may be committed, shall be punished with simple or rigorous imprisonment for a term extending up to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Image Source: courthouseconcepts.barrybelford.com
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The section requires intentional running aground or running ashore of any vessel. The offender must have intention to commit theft of any property contained in the vessel, or there must be intention on the part of the offender to commit dishonest misappropriation of any such property, or the offender must have intention that such theft or misappropriation of property may be committed. Whether theft or misappropriation is actually committed or not is of no consequence because the section lays down that the offender must have intention to that effect. The offence under this section is quite serious is clear from the quantum of penalty prescribed in the section.
The offence under section 439 is cognizable, non-bailable and non-compoundable, and is triable by court of session.