CHAPTER X- CONTEMPTS OF THE LAWFUL AUTHORITY OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

Preventing service of summons, etc., or preventing publication thereof
173. Whoever in any manner intentionally prevents the serving on himself, or on any other person, of any summons, notice or order, proceeding from any public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to issue such summons, notice or order, or intentionally prevents the lawful affixing to any place of any such summons, notice or order, or intentionally removes any such summons, notice or order from any place to which it is lawfully affixed, or intentionally prevents the lawful making of any proclamation, under the authority of any public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to direct such proclamation to be made, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to $1,500, or with both; or, if the summons, notice, order, or proclamation is to attend in person or by agent, or to produce a document or an electronic record before a court of justice, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $3,000, or with both.

CHAPTER X- CONTEMPTS OF THE LAWFUL AUTHORITY OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

Resistance to the taking of property by the lawful authority of a public servant
183. Whoever offers any resistance to the taking of any property by the lawful authority of any public servant, knowing or having reason to believe that he is such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 months, or with fine which may extend to $3,000, or with both.

CHAPTER XI- FALSE EVIDENCE AND OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC JUSTICE

Causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed, or giving false information touching it, to screen the offender
201. 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, shall, if the offence which he knows or believes to have been committed is punishable with death, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years, and shall also be liable to fine; and if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to 20 years, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, and shall also be liable to fine, and if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for any term not extending to 20 years, shall be punished with imprisonment 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.
[51/2007]

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 for 10 years, and also to fine.
[51/2007]
[Indian PC 1860, s. 201]

CHAPTER XI- FALSE EVIDENCE AND OFFENCES AGAINST PUBLIC JUSTICE


Destruction of document or electronic record to prevent its production as evidence
204. Whoever secretes or destroys any document or electronic record which he may be lawfully compelled to produce as evidence before a court of justice, or in any proceeding lawfully held before a public servant as such, or obliterates or renders illegible the whole or any part of such document or electronic record with the intention of preventing the same from being produced or used as evidence before such court or public servant as aforesaid, or after he has been lawfully summoned or required to produce the same for that purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years, or with fine, or with both.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 204]


Obstructing, preventing, perverting or defeating course of justice
204A. Whoever intentionally obstructs, prevents, perverts or defeats the course of justice shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

Explanation .—A mere warning to a witness that he may be prosecuted for perjury if he gives false evidence is insufficient to constitute an offence.
[51/2007]


Bribery of witnesses
204B.—(1) Whoever —
(a) gives, confers, or procures, promises or offers to give, confer, or procure or attempts to procure, any gratification to, upon, or for any person, upon any agreement or understanding that any person who is aware of any offence (being an offence which any person is legally bound to give information respecting that offence) will abstain from reporting that offence to the police or any agency charged by law with the duty of investigating offences;

(b) gives, confers, or procures, promises or offers to give, confer, or procure or attempts to procure, any gratification to, upon, or for any person, upon any agreement or understanding that any person called or to be called as a witness in any judicial proceeding will give false testimony or withhold true testimony or abstain from giving evidence;

(c) attempts by any means to induce a person called or to be called as a witness in any judicial
proceeding to give false testimony or withhold true testimony or abstain from giving evidence; or

(d) asks, receives, or obtains, or agrees or attempts to receive or obtain, any property or benefit of any kind for himself, or any other person, upon any agreement or understanding that any person will as a witness in any judicial proceeding give false testimony or withhold true testimony or abstain from giving evidence,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both.
[51/2007]

(2) In this section, “judicial proceeding” means any proceeding in the course of which evidence is or may be legally taken.
[51/2007]


False personation for the purpose of any act or proceeding in a suit
205. Whoever falsely personates another, and in such assumed character makes any admission or statement, or confesses judgment, or causes any process to be issued, or becomes bail or security, or does any other act in any suit or criminal prosecution, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3 years, or with fine, or with both.

Article 70
Offences against the administration of justice
1. The Court shall have jurisdiction over the following offences against its administration of justice when committed intentionally:
(c) Corruptly influencing a witness, obstructing or interfering with the attendance or testimony of a witness, retaliating against a witness for giving testimony or destroying, tampering with or interfering with the collection of evidence