Section 139: No public servant liable as aforesaid for giving effect in good faith to any rule, regulation, order or direction issued with apparent authority

No public servant or person duly appointed or authorised shall be liable to any penalty or to payment of any damages for giving effect in good faith to—

(a) any order or direction issued with apparent authority by the Administrator or by a person empowered in that behalf under this Act; or

(b) any rule or regulation made under this Act.

Explanation.— In this section, the expression "public servant" has the meaning assigned to it in section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).

Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 139

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