BNS Section 240 — Giving false information respecting an offence committed
CHAPTER XIV OF FALSE EVIDENCE AND OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC JUSTICE
Criminal
Punishment
Imprisonment up to 2 years, or fine, or both
As the section puts it: “shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both”
Summary
Whoever gives information about an offence, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed, and knowing or believing that the information is false, can be punished with imprisonment for up to two years, or with a fine, or with both. The punishment applies whether the imprisonment is of the simple or rigorous type.
The explanation clarifies that for this section, and for sections 238 and 239, the word offence also includes any act committed outside India that would be punishable under certain specified sections of this Act if it had been committed in India. Those specified sections are 103, 105, 307, sub-sections (2), (3) and (4) of section 309, sub-sections (2), (3), (4) and (5) of section 310, 311, 312, clauses (f) and (g) of section 326, sub-sections (4), (6), (7) and (8) of section 331, and clauses (a) and (b) of section 332.
Official Text
Whoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed, gives any information respecting that offence which he knows or believes to be false, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Explanation.—In sections 238 and 239 and in this section the word “offence” includes any act committed at any place out of India, which, if committed in India, would be punishable under any of the following sections, namely, 103, 105, 307, sub-sections (2),
(3) and
(4) of section 309, sub-sections (2), (3),
(4) and
(5) of section 310, 311, 312, clauses
(f) and
(g) of section 326, sub-sections (4), (6),
(7) and
(8) of section 331, clauses
(a) and
(b) of section 332.
Sections referred to
- BNS §238 — Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender
- BNS §239 — Intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform
- BNS §309 — Robbery
- BNS §310 — Dacoity
- BNS §311 — Robbery, or dacoity, with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt
- BNS §312 — Attempt to commit robbery or dacoity when armed with deadly weapon
- BNS §326 — Mischief by injury, inundation, fire or explosive substance, etc
- BNS §331 — Punishment for house-trespass or house-breaking
- BNS §332 — House-trespass in order to commit offence
Referred to by
Old <-> New Code Mapping
- IPC §203 — Giving false information respecting an offence committed
