Indian Penal Code, 1860 · Chapter XI: Of False Evidence and Offences against Public Justice
Section 225A: Omission to apprehend, or sufferance of escape, on part of public servant, in cases not otherwise, provided for
The Indian Penal Code, 1860 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024.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
A public servant legally bound to arrest or keep confined a person, in a case not covered by sections 221, 222 or 223 or any other law, who fails to arrest them or lets them escape, is punishable with imprisonment of either description for up to three years, or fine, or both, if done intentionally, and with simple imprisonment for up to two years, or fine, or both, if done negligently.
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, being a public servant legally bound as such public servant to apprehend, or to keep in confinement, any person in any case not provided for in section 221, section 222 or section 223, or in any other law for the time being in force, omits to apprehend that person or suffers him to escape from confinement, shall be punished—
(a) if he does so intentionally, with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both; and
(b) if he does so negligently, with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, 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.