Confinement only counts if it lasts a long time.

Even confinement for a short period, like a few hours, is punishable under this section; longer confinement attracts additional, harsher sections.

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Section 342

repealed

Punishment for wrongful confinement

Whoever wrongfully confines any person shall be punished with simple imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.§

Why this exists

Since confinement is a more serious deprivation of liberty than mere restraint, this section prescribes a heavier punishment than Section 341, reflecting the greater harm of being completely trapped rather than just blocked in one direction.

How courts read it

Courts have held that even short periods of confinement, such as locking someone in a room for a few hours during a dispute, can attract this section, since the law does not require any minimum duration for basic wrongful confinement (longer periods trigger the more severe sections that follow).

Common misconceptions

Myth: Confinement only counts if it lasts a long time.
Fact: Even confinement for a short period, like a few hours, is punishable under this section; longer confinement attracts additional, harsher sections.