IPC Section 166 — Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person
offences by or relating to public servants
Criminal
Punishment
Imprisonment up to 1 year, or fine, or both
As the section puts it: “shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both”
Summary
A public official who deliberately breaks a legal rule about how they must do their job, and does so with the intention of harming someone or knowing that their action is likely to cause harm, can be punished. The punishment for this offence is simple imprisonment for up to one year, or a fine, or both.
Official Text
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 to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will, by such disobedience, cause injury to any person, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both.
Referred to by
Related Judgments
- Sharda Madan Shirsate vs State Bank of India — Bombay High Court (Mumbai Principal Seat) (2020)
- Shrikant Madhav Karve vs The State of Maharashtra and ors — Bombay High Court (Mumbai Principal Seat) (2017)
- 1.Mr.Noel Noval Tata & Ors. vs 1.The State of Maharashtra & Anr — Bombay High Court (Mumbai Principal Seat) (2012)
- Shri Sanjeev Bacchiram Bhatt & Ors. ...Applicants vs The State of Maharashtra & Anr — Bombay High Court (Mumbai Principal Seat) (2012)
- Sachin Gopinath Kulkarni vs Jas Jeet Singh and anr — Bombay High Court (Mumbai Principal Seat) (2024)
Old <-> New Code Mapping
- BNS §198 — Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person
