IPC 201 — Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender

Indian Penal Code, 1860

Statutory text

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, if a capital offence;
if a capital offence.--shall, 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;
if punishable with imprisonment for life;
if punishable with imprisonment for life.--and if  the offence is punishable with [imprisonment   for  life], or   with   imprisonment which may extend to ten years, shall  be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which  may  extend  to  three years, and shall also be liable to fine;
if punishable with less than ten years' imprisonment.
if  punishable   with  less   than   ten  years'  imprisonment.--
and  if  the offence is punishable with imprisonment for any term  not extending  to  ten years, shall 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.

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