IPC Section 203: Giving False Information Regarding an Offence
1. Code:
Giving false information respecting an offence committed.—Whoever, knowing or having
reason to believe that an offence has been committed, gives any information respecting that offence which
he knows or believes to be false, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term
which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
1
[Explanation.—In sections 201 and 202 and in this section the word “offence” includes any act
committed at any place out of 2
[India], which, if committed in 2
[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.]
2. Explanation:
This section states that whoever, intending to cause, or knowing that he is likely to cause, any person to be prosecuted for an offence, gives, or causes to be given, to any person who is, or who is likely to be, a public servant, any information which he knows to be false, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
3. Illustration:
Imagine a person named A has a grudge against another person named B. A decides to frame B for a theft that never occurred. To achieve this, A goes to the police and tells them that he saw B stealing a valuable item from a shop. A knows this information is false, but he provides it intentionally to cause B to be prosecuted for theft. In this scenario, A has committed an offense under Section 203 of the IPC.
4. Common Questions and Answers:
Q: What is the intention behind giving false information?
A: The intention must be to cause the prosecution of another person for an offense. It is not enough to merely provide false information.
Q: Who is considered a “public servant” under this section?
A: The term “public servant” is defined in the IPC and includes individuals holding various government positions, such as police officers, judges, and government officials.
Q: What is the punishment for violating this section?
A: The punishment can be imprisonment of up to two years, a fine, or both.
