SECTION 222 IPC - Indian Penal Code - Intentional omission to apprehend on the part of public servant bound to apprehend person under sentence or lawfully committed

Whoever, being a public servant, legally bound as such public servant to apprehend or to keep in confinement any person under sentence of a Court of Justice for any offence or lawfully committed to custody, intentionally omits to apprehend such person, or intentionally suffers such person to escape or intentionally aids such person in escaping or attempting to escape from such confinement, shall be punished as follows, that is to say:

with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to fourteen years, with or without fine, if the person in confinement, or who ought to have been apprehended, is under sentence of death; or

with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, with or without fine, if the person in confinement, or who, ought to have been apprehended, is subject, by a sentence of a Court of Justice, or by virtue of a commutation of such sentence, to imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term of ten years or upwards; or

with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both, if the person in confinement, or who ought to have been apprehended is subject, by a sentence of a Court of Justice, to imprisonment for a term not extending to ten years or if the person was lawfully committed to custody.

IPC 222 in Simple Words

In simple words, Section 222 of the Indian Penal Code states that if a public servant, who is responsible for apprehending or keeping someone in custody, intentionally fails to do so or aids their escape, they can face different punishments based on the seriousness of the offense, ranging from imprisonment for life to imprisonment for up to three years, or with fine, or both.