BNS Section 59 - Public servant concealing design to commit offence which it is his duty to prevent

59. Public servant concealing design to commit offence which it is his duty to prevent.--

Whoever, being a public servant, intending to facilitate or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby

facilitate the commission of an offence which it is his duty as such public servant to prevent, voluntarily

conceals, by any act or omission or by the use of encryption or any other information hiding tool, the

existence of a design to commit such offence, or makes any representation which he knows to be false

respecting such design shall,--

(a) if the offence be committed, be punished with imprisonment of any description provided for

the offence, for a term which may extend to one-half of the longest term of such imprisonment, or

with such fine as is provided for that offence, or with both; or

(b) if the offence be punishable with death or imprisonment for life, with imprisonment of either

description for a term which may extend to ten years; or

(c) if the offence be not committed, shall be punished with imprisonment of any description

provided for the offence for a term which may extend to one-fourth part of the longest term of such

imprisonment or with such fine as is provided for the offence, or with both.

Illustration.

A, an officer of police, being legally bound to give information of all designs to commit robbery

which may come to his knowledge, and knowing that B designs to commit robbery, omits to give such

information, with intent to so facilitate the commission of that offence.

Here A has by an illegal omission concealed the existence of B’s design, and is liable to punishment

according to the provision of this section.