A public servant concealing a design to commit an offence which it is his duty to prevent
Whoever, being a public servant, intending to facilitate, or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby facilitate, the commission of an offence, the commission of which it is his duty as such public servant to prevent, voluntarily conceals, by any act or illegal omission, the existence of a design to commit such offence, or makes any representation which he knows to be false respecting such design, shall, if the offence is committed, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one-half of the longest term provided for the offence or with such fine as is provided for the offence or with both; or if the offence is punishable with death or imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years or upwards, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to
ten years; or, if the offence is not committed, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one-fourth part of the longest term provided for the offence or with such fine as is provided for the offence or with both.
A, an officer of police, being legally bound to give information of all designs to commit robbery, which may come to his knowledge, and knowing that B designs to commit robbery, omits to give such information, with intent to facilitate the commission of that offence. Here A has by an illegal omission concealed the existence of B’s design, and is liable to punishment according to this section.