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Section history

Section 182 — False information, with intent to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person

Consolidated view is experimental and may be broken for certain provisions.

Amendments
182.False information, with intent to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person

Whoever gives to any public servant any information orally or in writing which he knows or believes to be false, intending thereby to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause, such public servant to use the lawful power of such public servant to the injury or annoyance of any person, or to do or omit anything which such public servant ought not to, or would not, do or omit if the true state of facts respecting which such information is given were known by him, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 6 monthsone year, or with fine which may extend to $1,000 $5,0002 years, or with fine, or with both.

Illustrations

(a) A informs a superintendent of police that Z, a police officer subordinate to such superintendent, has been guilty of neglect of duty or misconduct, knowing such information to be false, and knowing it to be likely that the information will cause the superintendent to dismiss Z. A has committed the offence defined in this section.

(b) A falsely informs a public servant that Z has contraband opium in a secret place, knowing such information to be false, and knowing that it is likely that the consequence of the information will be a search of Z’s premises, attended with annoyance to Z. A has committed the offence defined in this section.

Illustration (c) — Original text to 1 February 2008superseded

(c) A falsely informs a policeman that he has been assaulted and robbed in the neighbourhood of a particular village. He does not mention the name of any person as one of his assailants but knows it to be likely that in consequence of this information the police will make inquiries and institute searches in the village to the annoyance of the villagers or some of them. A has committed an offence under this section.

Illustration (c) — From 1 February 2008 (current)rewritten by Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2007

(c) A falsely informs a policeman that he has been assaulted and robbed by a person whose identity he does not know. A also mentions that he often sees that person going in and out of a block of flats, knowing it to be likely that in consequence of this information, the police will make inquiries and institute searches in the block of flats to the annoyance of the flat dwellers or some of them. A has committed an offence under this section.

[Indian PC 1860, s. 182]

(d) A informs a policeman that A does not know the identity of the suspect of a criminal offence, knowing such information to be false, and knowing it to be likely that in consequence of this information, the policeman will expend additional time and resources to identify the suspect which will not be so expended if A had informed the policeman that A knew the identity of the suspect. A has committed an offence under this section.