222. Whoever, being bound by law to render or furnish assistance to any public servant in the execution of his public duty, intentionally omits to give such assistance,— (a) shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to two thousand and five hundred rupees, or with both; (b) and where such assistance be demanded of him by a public servant legally competent to make such demand for the purposes of executing any process lawfully issued by a Court or of preventing the commission of an offence, or suppressing a riot, or affray, or of apprehending a person charged with or guilty of an offence, or of having escaped from lawful custody, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both.
IPC Section 187 in BNS: Section 222
Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance
Section 187 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance) corresponds to Section 222 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024. Under the BNSS First Schedule, BNS 222(a) is non-cognizable, bailable, triable by Any Magistrate; punishment: Simple imprisonment for 1 month, or fine of 2,500 rupees, or both.
Bail, cognizability and punishment
| Section | Offence | Punishment | Cognizable | Bailable | Triable by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 222(a) | Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give such assistance. | Simple imprisonment for 1 month, or fine of 2,500 rupees, or both. | Non-cognizable | Bailable | Any Magistrate |
| 222(b) | Wilfully neglecting to aid a public servant who demands aid in the execution of process, the prevention of offences, etc. | Simple imprisonment for 6 months, or fine of 5,000 rupees, or both. | Non-cognizable | Bailable | Any Magistrate |
Source: BNSS, 2023, First Schedule, Part I.
The BNS applies to offences committed on or after 1 July 2024. Offences committed earlier are charged and tried under the IPC.
Text of BNS Section 222
Full BNS Section 222 and every IPC section it replaced →
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