BNS Section 251 — Offering gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offender

Summary

This section deals with giving a bribe or returning property to someone in exchange for that person hiding an offence, shielding an offender from punishment, or dropping proceedings meant to bring an offender to justice. The person who gives, offers, or agrees to give any gratification, or who restores or causes the restoration of any property, for any of these purposes, faces punishment. The punishment depends on how serious the underlying offence is.

Under clause (a), if the offence that was concealed or shielded is punishable with death, the offender here can be imprisoned for up to seven years, and can also be fined.

Under clause (b), if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment that may extend to ten years, the offender here can be imprisoned for up to three years, and can also be fined.

Under clause (c), if the offence is punishable with imprisonment that does not extend to ten years, the offender here can be imprisoned for a term up to one-fourth of the longest imprisonment provided for that offence, or fined, or both. The type of imprisonment in this case is the same as that provided for the underlying offence.

The exception states that this section and section 250 do not apply to any case where the offence may lawfully be compounded.

Official Text

Whoever gives or causes, or offers or agrees to give or cause, any gratification to any person, or restores or causes the restoration of any property to any person, in consideration of that person’s concealing an offence, or of his screening any person from legal punishment for any offence, or of his not proceeding against any person for the purpose of bringing him to legal punishment shall,—

(a) if the offence 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 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 imprisonment provided for the offence, or with fine, or with both. Exception.—The provisions of this section and section 250 do not extend to any case in which the offence may lawfully be compounded.

Related Judgments

• SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1309 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.11 p.291 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1531 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.6 p.280 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2024) Vol.6 p.129 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
• SC (2024) Vol.8 p.670 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
• SC (2025) Vol.4 p.2730 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.9 p.283 — Supreme Court of India (2025)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• IPC §214 — Offering gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offender