BNS Section 221- Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
Hello readers! Today, we are going to break down Section 221 of the new Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023. If you've been wondering what exactly this section covers and how it impacts our legal system, you're in the right place.
Bare Act Text
Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions.—Whoever voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to two thousand and five hundred rupees, or with both.
Procedural Details
Punishment
Imprisonment up to Three Month(s) + Fine
Nature of Offense
Non-cognizable
Bail Eligibility
Bailable
Compoundability
Non-Compoundable (Refer to BNSS 359 for exceptions)
Trial Court
Any Magistrate
Frequently Asked Questions about BNS Section 221
What is Section 221 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)?
According to the official bare act, this legal offense is defined as: Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions.—Whoever voluntarily obstructs any public servant in the discharge of his public functions, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to two thousand and five hundred rupees, or with both.
What is the punishment under BNS Section221 ?
The punishment for this specific offense is outlined under the new law as: Imprisonment up to Three Month(s) + Fine
Is BNS Section 221 bailable or non-bailable?
Under the new legal framework, this specific offense is classified as a Bailableoffense.
Is BNS Section 221 a cognizable offense?
The legal status regarding police arrest without a warrant is that this offense isNon-cognizable.
Which court has the jurisdiction to try cases under BNS Section 221 ?
Cases pertaining to this specific BNS section are triable by the Any Magistrate.
Can BNS Section 221 be compromised (Compoundable)?
The compoundable nature of this offense, meaning whether the parties can settle it out of court, is classified as: Non-Compoundable (Refer to BNSS 359 for exceptions).
Pramod Editor-in-Chief
Pramod is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of StudyHub. He holds a Master's degree and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Geology, alongside more than 7+ years spent building and verifying competitive exam content for Indian aspirants. He leads StudyHub's editorial process across Indian Polity, the Constitution, Indian Economy, History, Geography, Science, and the platform's other subject areas — checking every article against primary sources (bare act text and Gazette notifications for constitutional topics, government and Economic Survey data for economy content, standard reference material elsewhere) and flagging it for re-verification whenever a relevant amendment, policy, or data update makes an earlier version outdated.