Section 201 IPC-Dhara 201-Dafa-Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender

Section 201 IPC-Dhara 201-Dafa-Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender:

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.—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.—and if the offence is punishable with 1[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.—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.

 

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENCE

 

Para I

 

Punishment—Imprisonment for 7 years and fine—According as the offence in relation to which disappearance of evidence is caused is cognizable or non-cognizable—Bailable—Triable by Court of Session—Non-compoundable.

 

Para II

 

Punishment—Imprisonment for 3 years and fine—Non-cogniz­able—Bailable—Triable by Magistrate of the first class—Non-compoundable.

 

Para III

 

Punishment—Imprisonment for a quarter of the longest term provided for the offence, or fine or both—Non-cognizable—Bailable—Triable by court by which the offence is triable—Non-compoundable.

 

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1. Subs. by Act 26 of 1955, sec. 117 and Sch., for "transporta­tion for life" (w.e.f. 1-1-1956).