IPC Section 201 - Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen

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 com mitted 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 1[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 p unishable 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 on e-fourth part of the longest 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 B from punishment. A is liable

to imprisonment of either description for seven years, and also to fine.