BNS §222

Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance

ModifiedConfidence: mediumStatus: editor verifiedconsolidation context(precautionary)
View government sourcemha.gov.in(opens the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 PDF on mha.gov.in in a new tab)
Last updated 2026-05-01 · Input coverage: full

Compiled by AI-assisted tools. Text verified against official sources where indicated. Field-level labels (AI-indicated / AI-inferred / Text-verified) apply per edge metadata. Verify current bail/cognizable status against official sources before relying on procedural claims. Last updated: 2026-04-28.

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Comparison

Old law
IPC §187
Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance

187. Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance.—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, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both; 1. The words “British India” have successively been subs. by the A. O. 1948, the A. O. 1950 and Act 3 of 1951, s. 3 and the Sch., to read as above. 2. Subs. by Act 3 of 1895, s. 1, for section 182. and if 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 of Justice, 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 hundred rupees, or with both.

New law
BNS §222
Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance

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.

What changedAI-inferred

IPC 187 (omission to assist public servant when bound by law) is preserved as BNS 222 with fine-cap modernisation in both sub-clauses. Imprisonment ceilings (1 month basic; 6 months for court-process / preventing-offence / suppressing-riot / apprehending-offender contexts) preserved.

Old position

IPC 187 is concerned with Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance. Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance

New position

BNS 222 modifies the framework. Topic: Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance. 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,

IPC 187 (omission to assist public servant when bound by law) is preserved as BNS 222 with fine-cap modernisation in both sub-clauses. Imprisonment ceilings (1 month basic; 6 months for court-process / preventing-offence / suppressing-riot / apprehending-offender contexts) preserved.

Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)

BNS-222 reproduces the operative content of IPC-187 on omission to assist public servant but reorganises the punishment-or-condition layer into structured (a)/(b) sub-clauses. Punishment levels are preserved.

Transitional note (repeal & savings)

For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, IPC 187 continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNS 222 applies. The transition is governed by the repeal-and-savings clause in the new code (BNS 358 / BNSS 531 / BSA 170 as the case may be); pending proceedings under the old code carry forward unaffected.

Frequently asked

BNS 222 (Omission to assist public servant when bound by law to give assistance). The relationship is classified as modified — see the change-note above for the textual delta.

Government source

The statutory text above is compiled from the Act as published by the Government of India. The links open the full Act; use the PDF's search to find the section number. The linked government pages offer no link to a single section.

Newlaws.in is an independent site, not a government body. The mappings and notes on this page are its own AI-assisted comparison and are not published or endorsed by any government body.

Sources

Cite this page

Newlaws.in, IPC §187 → BNS §222 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-10-29, https://newlaws.in/bns/222.

Compiled using AI-assisted tools · Source-linked · Last updated 2026-05-01

Not legal advice. Verify against the bare act and consult a qualified advocate for any specific matter.