Section 166. Public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person
2[(1)] Whoever, being a public servant, knowingly disobeys any direction of the law as to the way in which he is to conduct himself as such public servant, intending to cause, or knowing it to be likely that he will, by such disobedience, cause injury to any person, shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both. [
(2) Whoever being a public servant entrusted with the investigation of a case fails to carry out the investigation properly or diligently or fails to pursue the case in any court of law properly and in breach of his duties shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years or with fine or with both.]
Illustration A, being an officer directed by law to take property in execution, in order to satisfy a decree pronounced in Z’s favour by a Court of Justice, knowingly disobeys that direction of law, with the knowledge that he is likely thereby to cause injury to Z. A has committed the offence defined in this section.