IPC 119 — Public servant concealing design to commit offence which it is his duty to prevent

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Statutory text

Whoever, being a public servant intending to facilitate or  knowing it to be likely that he will thereby facilitate the commission  of an  offence which  it is  his duty  as such  public servant to prevent, voluntarily  conceals,  by  any  act  or  illegal  omission,  the existence  of   a  design   to  commit  such  offence,  or  makes  any representation which he knows to be false respecting such design.
if offence be committed.
if offence  be committed.--shall, if the offence be committed, be punished  with  imprisonment  of  any  description  provided  for  the offence, for  a term  which may extend to one-half of the longest term of such  imprisonment, or  with such  fine as  is  provided  for  that offence, or with both;
if offence be punishable with death, etc.
if offence  be punishable with death, etc.--or, if the offence be punishable  with    death   or   [imprisonment   for   life],   with imprisonment of  either description for a term which may extend to ten years;
if offence be not committed.
if  offence   be  not  committed.--or,  if  the  offence  be  not

committed, shall  be punished  with imprisonment  of  any  description provided for  the offence  for a  term which  may extend to one-fourth part of  the longest term of such imprisonment or with such fine as is provided for the offence, or with both.
Illustration
A, an  officer of police, being legally bound to give information of all  designs to commit robbery which may come to his knowledge, and knowing  that  B  designs  to  commit  robbery,  omits  to  give  such information, with intent to facilitate the commission of that offence.
here A  has by  an illegal  omission concealed  the existence  of  B's design and  is liable to punishment according to the provision of this section.

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