Communication made in good faith
What this section does
A communication made in good faith for the benefit of the recipient is not an offence even if it causes harm to that person. The section protects honest disclosures made with benevolent intent. The illustration of a surgeon informing a patient of a fatal prognosis exemplifies the protection.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
Derived from IPC s.93.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNS Section 31, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNS Section 31 forms part of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita which replaced the Indian Penal Code 1860 on 1 July 2024. Any new filing, FIR, charge sheet, or bail application made on or after that date should cite the new section number. References to the old act in legacy documents remain valid for matters that arose before the changeover.