The minimum punishment under the sedition law is paying fine
The Law Commission of India has recommended enhancing the jail term in sedition cases from a minimum of three years to seven years, contending that it would allow courts greater room to award punishment in accordance with the scale and gravity of the act committed.
In a report on the ‘Usage of the Law of Sedition’, the Commission said its earlier report had termed the punishment for Section 124A (law of sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) “very odd” as it has provisions for either life imprisonment or a three-year jail term, but nothing in between.
The minimum punishment under the sedition law is paying fine.
“A comparison of the sentences as provided for offences in Chapter VI of the IPC suggests that there is a glaring disparity in the punishment prescribed for Section 124A,” the Commission said.
Chapter VI of the IPC deals with offences against the state.
“It is, therefore, suggested that the provision be revised to bring it in consonance with the scheme of punishment provided for other offences under Chapter VI. This would allow the courts greater room to award punishment for a case of sedition in accordance with the scale and gravity of the act committed,” the report said.