What is the punishment for giving false information to a public servant to cause injury or annoyance?

In detail

Section 217 makes it a crime to give a public servant information that the giver knows or believes is false, when the giver intends or expects that the servant will either do something they should not do or use their legal authority to harm or annoy another person. The law covers any public officer, such as a magistrate, police officer or other official. If a person lies to cause a dismissal, a search, an investigation or any other action that injures or annoys the target, they have committed the offence. The punishment is imprisonment for up to one year, a fine that can go up to ten thousand rupees, or both. The provision includes examples like falsely accusing a police officer of misconduct, claiming someone hides contraband, or reporting an assault without naming the attacker, all of which lead to unnecessary actions that bother the accused. The offence does not require actual injury; the mere likelihood of annoyance or harm is enough for liability.