Indian Penal Code, 1860
Section 436
repealedMischief by fire or explosive substance with intent destroy house, etc.
Whoever commits mischief by fire or any explosive substance, intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause the destruction of any building which is ordinarily used as a place of worship or as a human dwelling or as a place for the custody of property, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.
Why this exists
Homes and places of worship are treated as spaces where people's safety, dignity, and sense of security matter enormously, so the law imposes one of its harshest mischief punishments when fire or explosives are used against such buildings. Arson against a dwelling risks lives, not just property, and attacks on worship places can also inflame communal tension, which is why the law treats this as gravely as it does.