Section 124: Official communications

The Indian Evidence Act, 1872 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 from 1 July 2024. It still applies to offences and proceedings from before that date.

Now in the BSA section 130 (Official communications)

No public officer shall be compelled to disclose communications made to him in official confidence, when he considers that the public interests would suffer by the disclosure. 1. Subs. by Act 13 of 2013, s. 27 for s. 119 (w.e.f. 3-2-2013).

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 (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. 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.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 124

Abhishek Banerjee & Anr. v. Directorate of Enforcement
2024 INSC 6689 September 2024Dismissed

Matter pertains to seeking quashing of the summons issued to the appellants by the Enforcement Directorate, seeking their personal appearance in New Delhi with the documents sought for, pertaining to the FIR registered…
Suman L. Shah v. The Custodian & Ors.
2024 INSC 1705 March 2024Appeal(s) allowed

There were questionable transactions between the appellants and respondent Nos. 6, 7 and 8, the alleged benami companies of respondent No. 2 (notified party). Whether the Special Court committed manifest error in facts…
Union of India & Ors. v. Air Commodore Nk
2023 INSC 107414 December 2023Appeal(s) allowed

Whether the Armed Forces Tribunal could have issued a direction to the Government to frame a policy for filling up the post of Judge Advocate General (Air) and ; whether the Tribunal could have directed that the…
Madhyamam Broadcasting Limited v. Union of
2023 INSC 3245 April 2023Appeal(s) allowed
P. Ponnusamy v. The State of Tamil Nadu
2022 INSC 11777 November 2022Dismissed
In Re: to Issue Certain Guidelines Regarding Inadequacies and Deficiencies in Criminal Trials v. The State of Andhra Pradesh & Ors.
2021 INSC 26020 April 2021Disposed of
State of Madhya Pradesh v. Centre for Environment Protection Research and Development & Ors.
2020 INSC 51628 August 2020Appeal(s) allowed
Arjun Panditrao Khotkar v. Kailash Kushanrao Gorantyal and Ors.
2020 INSC 45314 July 2020Dismissed
The Director General (Road Development) National Highways Authority of India v. Aam Aadmi Lokmanch & Ors.
2020 INSC 45214 July 2020Disposed of
Union of India & Ors. v. P. S. Gill
2019 INSC 129027 November 2019Dismissed
State of Meghalaya v. All Dimasa Students Union, Dima-Hasao District Committee & Ors.
2019 INSC 7213 July 2019Disposed of
Yashwant Sinha & Ors. v. Central Bureau of Investigation Through Its Director & Anr.
2019 INSC 50510 April 2019Review petitions be adjudicated on merits.
Competition Commission of India v. Bharti Airtel Limited and Others
2018 INSC 11545 December 2018Leave granted
B.K. Educational Services Private Limited v. Parag Gupta and Associates
2018 INSC 95611 October 2018Appeals remanded to NCLAT.
Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny v. The State of West Bengal & Ors.
2018 INSC 36318 April 2018Disposed of
M/S. v. L. S. Finance Ltd. v. S. P. Gupta and Anr.
2016 INSC 1435 February 2016Appeal(s) allowed
Union of India & Ors. v. Major General Shri Kant Sharma & Anr.
2015 INSC 20611 March 2015Disposed of