Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XIII: Of Contempts of the Lawful Authority of Public Servants
Section 213: Refusing oath or affirmation when duly required by public servant to make it
In plain words
Refusing to take an oath or affirmation to tell the truth, when a competent public servant lawfully requires it, is punishable with simple imprisonment up to six months, or a fine up to five thousand rupees, or both.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
Whoever refuses to bind himself by an oath or affirmation to state the truth, when required so to bind himself by a public servant legally competent to require that he shall so bind himself, 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.
Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 25 August 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 213
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.