BNS Section 255- Public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023
Hello readers! Today, we are going to break down Section 255 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
—Public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture.—Whoever, being a public servant, knowingly disobeys any direction of the law as to the way in which he is to conduct himself as such public servant, intending thereby to save, or
knowing it to be likely that he will thereby save, any person from legal punishment, or subject him to a less punishment than that to which he is liable, or with intent to save, or knowing that he is likely thereby to save, any property from forfeiture or any charge to which it is liable by law, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
Procedural Details
Punishment
Imprisonment up to Two Year(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 255
What is Section 255 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)?
According to the official bare act, this legal offense is defined as: —Public servant disobeying direction of law with intent to save person from punishment or property from forfeiture.—Whoever, being a public servant, knowingly disobeys any direction of the law as to the way in which he is to conduct himself as such public servant, intending thereby to save, or
knowing it to be likely that he will thereby save, any person from legal punishment, or subject him to a less punishment than that to which he is liable, or with intent to save, or knowing that he is likely thereby to save, any property from forfeiture or any charge to which it is liable by law, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
What is the punishment under BNS Section255 ?
The punishment for this specific offense is outlined under the new law as: Imprisonment up to Two Year(s) + Fine
Is BNS Section 255 bailable or non-bailable?
Under the new legal framework, this specific offense is classified as a Bailableoffense.
Is BNS Section 255 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 255 ?
Cases pertaining to this specific BNS section are triable by the Any Magistrate.
Can BNS Section 255 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).
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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.