Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Chapter XI: Of False Evidence and Offences against Public Justice
Section 202: Intentional omission to give information of offence by person bound to inform
The Indian Penal Code, 1860 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. It still applies to matters and proceedings from before that date, as the repealing law provides.
In plain words
Knowing or having reason to believe an offence was committed, intentionally failing to give information about it that one is legally bound to give is punishable with imprisonment of either description for up to six months, or fine, or both.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
Whoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed, intentionally omits to give any information respecting that offence which he is legally bound to give, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.
Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. 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.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 202
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Suneeti Toteja v. State of U.P. & Another
Whether, in light of the facts and circumstances of this case and the position of law apropos to the sanction for prosecution, the High Court ought to have exercised its powers u/s.482 of the CrPC to quash the…
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Manik & Ors. v. The State of Maharashtra
Appellants-convicts are members of the police force and the allegation against them is misuse and abuse of their powers, in resorting to custodial torture of victim-S and tampering with evidence.
- Prof Dr Neelima Risbud and Ors v. State Govt of NCT of Delhi and Anr
- Sanjay Kumar v. State & Ors
- Nikhil Rana v. State
- State v. Nikhil Rana & Ors
- Union of India v. K. A. Najeeb
- Union of India v. Yasmeen Mohammad Zahid @ Yasmeen
- Dinesh Kumar Kalidas Patel v. The State of Gujarat
- Ahmed Shah Khan Durrani @ A.S. Mubarak v. State of Maharashtra
- State of Punjab v. Central Bureau of Investigation & Ors.
- R. Sai Bharathi v. J. Jayalalitha and Ors.
- Bhagwan Swarup and Anr. v. State of Rajasthan