Section 238 in THE BHARATIYA NYAYA SANHITA, 2023 – BNS

Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender.

  1. Whoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been
    committed, causes any evidence of the commission of that offence to disappear, with the
    intention of screening the offender from legal punishment, or with that intention gives any
    information respecting the offence which he knows or believes to be false shall,—
    (a) if the offence which he knows or believes to have been committed 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 for any term 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 the
    imprisonment provided for the offence, or with fine, or with both.
    Illustration.
    A, knowing that B has murdered Z, assists B to hide the body with the intention of
    screening B from punishment. A is liable to imprisonment of either description for seven
    years, and also to fine.