BNS 238 — Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender.

Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023

Statutory text

238. Whoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence
has been committed, causes any evidence of the commission of that offence
to  disappear,  with  the  intention  of  screening  the  offender  from  legal
punishment,  or  with  that  intention  gives  any  information  respecting  the
offence which he knows or believes to be false shall,—
(a) if the offence which he knows or believes to have been committed
is  punishable  with  death,  be  punished  with  imprisonment  of  either
description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be
liable to fine;
(b)  if  the  offence  is  punishable  with  imprisonment  for  life,  or  with
imprisonment   which   may   extend   to   ten   years,   be   punished   with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three
years, and shall also be liable to fine;
(c) if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for any term not
extending to ten years, be punished with imprisonment of the description
provided for the offence, for a term which may extend to one-fourth part
of the longest term of the imprisonment provided for the offence, or with
fine, or with both.

Illustration.
A, knowing that B has murdered Z, assists B to hide the body with
the intention of screening B from punishment. A is liable to imprisonment
of either description for seven years, and also to fine.
 Intentional  omission  to  give  information  of  offence  by  person
bound to inform.

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