Section 222 - Indian Penal Code, 1860

222. 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 ¹¹⁵[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 ¹⁰⁴[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 out 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 ¹⁰⁴[imprisonment for life] ¹¹⁶[***] ¹¹⁷[***] ¹¹⁸[***] ¹¹⁹[***] or imprisonment for a term of ten years up- 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 exceeding to ten years ¹²⁰[or if the person was lawfully committed to custody].