BNS Section 255 —
CHAPTER XIV OF FALSE EVIDENCE AND OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC JUSTICE
Criminal
Summary
A public servant who knowingly disobeys a legal direction about how they must behave in their official role, intending to save any person from legal punishment or to give that person a lighter punishment than they deserve, or intending to save any property from forfeiture or from any legal charge, commits an offence. The punishment for this is imprisonment of either kind for up to two years, or a fine, or both.
Official Text
Public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture.—Whoever, being a public servant, knowingly disobeys any direction of the law as to the way in which he is to conduct himself as such public servant, intending thereby to save, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby save, any person from legal punishment, or subject him to a less punishment than that to which he is liable, or with intent to save, or knowing that he is likely thereby to save, any property from forfeiture or any charge to which it is liable by law, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
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.6 p.280 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
- SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1531 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
- SC (2024) Vol.8 p.670 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
- SC (2024) Vol.6 p.129 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
- SC (2025) Vol.4 p.2730 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
- SC (2025) Vol.7 p.105 — Supreme Court of India (2025)