- Furnishing false information —
Whoever, being legally bound to furnish information on any subject to any public
servant, as such, furnishes, as true, information on the subject which he knows or
has reason to believe to be false, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a
term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one
thousand rupees, or with both; or, if the information which he is legally bound to
give respects the commission of an offence, or is required for the purpose of
preventing the commission of an offence, or in order to the apprehension of an
offender, with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to
two years, or with fine, or with both.
Illustrations
(a) A, a landholder, knowing of the commission of a murder within the limits of his
estate, wilfully misinforms the Magistrate of the district that the death has occurred
by accident in consequence of the bite of a snake. A is guilty of the offence
defined in this section.
(b) A, a village watchman, knowing that a considerable body of strangers has
passed through his village in order to commit a dacoity in the house of Z, a
wealthy merchant residing in a neighbouring place, and being bound under clause,
5, section VII, Regulation III, 1821, of the Bengal Code, to give early and punctual
information of the above fact to the officer of the nearest police station, wilfully
misinforms the police officer that a body of suspicious characters passed through
the village with a view to commit dacoity in a certain distant place in a different
direction. Here A is guilty of the offence defined in the later part of this section.
Explanation —In section 176 and in this section the word “offence” includes any
act committed at any place out of India, which, if committed in India, would be
punishable under any of the following sections, namely, 302, 304, 382, 392, 393,
394, 395, 396, 397, 398, 399, 402, 435, 436, 449, 450, 457, 458, 459 and 460;
and the word “offender” includes any person who is alleged to have been guilty of
any such act.
CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENCE
Para I: Punishment—Imprisonment for 6 months, or fine of 1,000 rupees, or
both—Non-cognizable—Bailable—Triable by any Magistrate—Noncompoundable.
Para II: Punishment—Imprisonment for 2 years, or fine, or both—Noncognizable—
Bailable—Triable by any Magistrate—Non-compoundable.
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