Whoever, being legally bound to furnish information on any subject to any public servant, as such, furnishes, as true, information on the subject which he knows or has reason to believe to be false shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both;
or, if the information which he is legally bound to give respects the commission of an offence, or is required for the purpose of preventing the commission of an offence, or in order to the apprehension of an offender, with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Illustrations
- A, a landholder, knowing of the commission of a murder within the limits of his estate, willfully misinforms the Magistrate of the district that the death has occurred by accident in consequence of the bite of a snake. A is guilty of the offence defined in this section.
- A, a village watchman, knowing that a considerable body of strangers has passed through his village in order to commit a dacoity in the house of Z, a wealthy merchant residing in a neighboring place, and being bound under clause 5, section VII, Regulation III, 1821, of the Bengal Code, to give early and punctual information of the above fact to the officer of the nearest police station, willfully misinforms the police officer that a body of suspicious characters passed through the village with a view to commit dacoity in a certain distant place in a different direction. Here A is guilty of the offence defined in the latter part of this section.
Explanations
- In section 176 and in this section the word “offence” includes any act committed at any place out of India, which, if committed in 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; and the word “offender” includes any person who is alleged to have been guilty of any such act.
IPC Section 177: Simplified Explanation
Section 177 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) addresses “Furnishing false information.” This offence occurs when a person legally bound to provide information on any subject to a public servant knowingly provides false information or omits relevant facts. The section targets actions that intend to mislead or obstruct public servants in performing their duties.
This is critical for maintaining the integrity of information provided to public servants, as false data can lead to incorrect decisions, misallocation of resources, or hindrance of justice and other administrative processes.
Is IPC Section 177 bailable?
IPC Section 177 is a bailable offence. This means that an individual arrested under this section has the right to secure bail while awaiting further legal proceedings.
IPC Section 177 Punishment
The punishment for an offence under IPC Section 177 involves simple imprisonment for a term that may extend to six months, a fine of one thousand rupees, or both.
Example of IPC Section 177
A real-life example of IPC Section 177 could be a scenario where a business owner must report specific financial details to tax authorities. Suppose the owner knowingly provides false income figures or omits significant expenses to reduce tax liabilities. In that case, they are committing an offence under this section. Another instance could involve a person providing incorrect details to the police during an investigation to mislead the officers and obstruct justice.
