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Section 22 POCSO Act — Punishment for false complaint or false information

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 · Official PDF page 13

Open in NyayaOfficial PDF, page 13

22. Punishment for false complaint or false information .—(1) Any person, who makes false complaint or provides false information against any person, in respect of an offence committed under sections 3, 5, 7 and section 9, solely with the intention to humiliate, extort or threaten or defame him, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months or with fine or with both.

(2) Where a false complaint has been made or false information has been provided by a child, no punishment shall be imposed on such child.

(3) Whoever, not being a child, makes a false complaint or provides false information against a child, knowing it to be false, thereby victimizing such child in any of the offences under this Act, shall be punished with imprisonment, which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.

Text extracted from the official PDF (India Code source edition; cover states: 1st July, 2026). Line breaks and footnote marks may differ; the PDF is the authority.

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