[Section 7 heading substituted by the Protection of Constitutional Democracy against Terrorism and  related activities Amendment Act, 2022, by section 7 of Notice No. 1533, G47803, dated 29 December 2022]

Any person who intentionally—

any other person (hereinafter referred to as a hostage), in order to compel a third party, namely a State, an intergovernmental organisation, a natural or juridical person, or a group of persons to do or abstain from doing any act as an explicit or implicit condition for the release of the hostage, is guilty of an offence of taking a hostage.