Interpreting Section 21 Of The Indian Penal Code, 1860

Sumreet Kaur, Chanderprabhu Jain College of Higher Studies and School Of Law (Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University)

INTRODUCTION

Public Servants play an integral role in the society. A Public Servant is termed as any person who works for the welfare of the society. In India, Public Servants secure the clean functioning of all the elements of the Government. They are chargeable for various policies that help in Courts, Lawsuits and assist in the research. They aid in bridging the gap between the Government and the society. Any sort of contempt committed under their authority would result in serious ailment and chaos in the process. Public servants are accountable only to the Government and not to any Political Party. It is expected from them to perform their duty with obligation, integrity and loyalty. Even when the situations are worsened, they are required to perform their duty and do the right thing. They are solely responsible to maintain the public’s trust in Justice and put the interest of Public and Public service before their own personal interest. Due to such dedication, many young fellows are inclined towards serving the society and helping them through public administration. . Public Servant has been separately defined under the Indian Penal Code (I.PC), 1860 as there are specific references to public servants in certain sections of the code. In this article, we would be understanding the concept of Section 21 which defines Public Servant under I.P.C.