Summarized distinction between theft, extortion, robbery and dacoity are as follows:
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| Theft | Extortion | Robbery | Dacoity |
| Movable property is taken away without owners consent in theft | Consent of the person is obtained wrongfully by coercion | The offender takes property without consent, robbery being the aggravated form of theft or extortion | There is no consent or it is obtained wrongly |
| Theft is of movable property only | It may be movable or immovable property | Robbery may be committed in respect of immovable property where it is in the form of extortion, but not otherwise | Dacoity may be committed in respect of immovable property where it is in the form of extortion but not otherwise |
| It can be committed by one person | It can be committed by one or more | It can be committed by one or more persons | To commit the offence of dacoity, there must be at- least five persons or more |
| There is no element of force or compulsion | Force or compulsion exists in extortion, the person being put in fear of injury to himself or to any other persons | Force may or may not be used | Force may or may not be used |
| Element of fear is absent | Element of fear is present | Element of fear exists if robbery is a form of extortion, otherwise not | Element of force exists in dacoity |
| Thee is no delivery of property by the victim | There is delivery of property | There is no delivery of property in robbery if theft is committed in the course of robbery | There is no delivery of property in dacoity if theft is committed in the course of dacoity |
| Punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine or with both (Section 379) | Punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both (Section 384) | Punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine; and if the robbery be committed on the highway between sunset and sunrise it may be extended to fourteen years (Section 392) | Punished with imprisonment for life, or with rigoro us imprisonment for a term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine (Section 395) |