§ 204B — Bribery of witnesses

204B.—(1) Whoever —(a)

gives, confers, or procures, promises or offers to give, confer, or procure or attempts to procure, any gratification to, upon, or for any person, upon any agreement or understanding that any person who is aware of any offence (being an offence which any person is legally bound to give information respecting that offence) will abstain from reporting that offence to the police or any agency charged by law with the duty of investigating offences;

(b)

gives, confers, or procures, promises or offers to give, confer, or procure or attempts to procure, any gratification to, upon, or for any person, upon any agreement or understanding that any person called or to be called as a witness in any judicial proceeding will give false testimony or withhold true testimony or abstain from giving evidence;

(c)

attempts by any means to induce a person called or to be called as a witness in any judicial proceeding to give false testimony or withhold true testimony or abstain from giving evidence; or

(d)

asks, receives, or obtains, or agrees or attempts to receive or obtain, any property or benefit of any kind for himself, or any other person, upon any agreement or understanding that any person will as a witness in any judicial proceeding give false testimony or withhold true testimony or abstain from giving evidence,

shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both.

(2) In this section, “judicial proceeding” means any proceeding in the course of which evidence is or may be legally taken.

—(1) Whoever —(a)

gives, confers, or procures, promises or offers to give, confer, or procure or attempts to procure, any gratification to, upon, or for any person, upon any agreement or understanding that any person who is aware of any offence (being an offence which any person is legally bound to give information respecting that offence) will abstain from reporting that offence to the police or any agency charged by law with the duty of investigating offences;

(b)

gives, confers, or procures, promises or offers to give, confer, or procure or attempts to procure, any gratification to, upon, or for any person, upon any agreement or understanding that any person called or to be called as a witness in any judicial proceeding will give false testimony or withhold true testimony or abstain from giving evidence;

(c)

attempts by any means to induce a person called or to be called as a witness in any judicial proceeding to give false testimony or withhold true testimony or abstain from giving evidence; or

(d)

asks, receives, or obtains, or agrees or attempts to receive or obtain, any property or benefit of any kind for himself, or any other person, upon any agreement or understanding that any person will as a witness in any judicial proceeding give false testimony or withhold true testimony or abstain from giving evidence,

shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 7 years, or with fine, or with both.

(2) In this section, “judicial proceeding” means any proceeding in the course of which evidence is or may be legally taken.