Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XIV: Of False Evidence and Offences against Public Justice
Section 251: Offering gift or restoration of property in consideration of screening offender
In plain words
Giving or offering a gift, or returning property, in exchange for someone hiding an offence, shielding an offender or not prosecuting someone is punished on the same scale as section 250.
- Offence punishable with death: up to seven years and a fine. With imprisonment for life or up to ten years: up to three years and a fine. With less: up to one-fourth of the longest term, or a fine, or both.
- Sections 250 and this section do not apply where the offence can lawfully be compounded (settled).
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 gives or causes, or offers or agrees to give or cause, any gratification to any person, or restores or causes the restoration of any property to any person, in consideration of that person’s concealing an offence, or of his screening any person from legal punishment for any offence, or of his not proceeding against any person for the purpose of bringing him to legal punishment shall,—
(a) if the offence 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;
(b) if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment which may extend to ten years, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine;
(c) if the offence is punishable with imprisonment not extending to ten years, be punished with imprisonment of the description provided for the offence for a term which may extend to one-fourth part of the longest term of imprisonment provided for the offence, or with fine, or with both.
Exception.—The provisions of this section and section 250 do not extend to any case in which the offence may lawfully be compounded.
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 251
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.