PPC Section 201 | Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender:

PPC Section 201

PPC Section 201: Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender:

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;

	if a capital offence:	shall, if the offence which he knows or believes to have been committed is punishable with death, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine;
	if punishable with imprisonment for life:	and if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment which may extend to ten years shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine:
	if punishable with less than ten years' imprisonment:	and if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for any term not extending to ten years, shall be punished with imprisonment of the description provided for the offence, for a term which may extend to one-fourth part of the longer term of the imprisonment provided for the offence, or with fine, or with both.

Illustration

A, knowing that B has murdered Z, assists B to hide the body with the intention of screening 6 from punishment. A is liable to imprisonment of either description for seven years, and also to fine.

Offence	Cognizance	Summons	Bail	Punishment	Triable
Causing disappearance of evidence of an offence committed, or giving false information touching it to screen the offender, if a capital offence.	Shall not arrest without warrant.	Warrant	Bailable	Imprisonment of either description for 7 years, and fine	Court of Session.
If punishable with [imprisonment for life] or imprisonment for 10 years.	Ditto	Ditto	Ditto	Imprisonment of either description for 3 years and fine.	Magistrate of the first class.
If punishable with less than 10 year’s imprisonment.	Ditto	Ditto	Ditto	Imprisonment for a quarter of the longest term, and of the description provided for the offence, or fine, or both.	Magistrate of the first class, or Court by which the offence is triable.