Whoever in any manner intentionally prevents the serving on himself, or on any other person, of any summons, notice or order proceeding from any public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to issue such summons, notice or order, or intentionally prevents the lawful affixing to any place of any such summons, notice or order or intentionally removes any such summons, notice or order from any place to which it is lawfully affixed or intentionally prevents the lawful making of any proclamation, under the authority of any public servant legally competent, as such public servant, to direct such proclamation to be made,––
(a) shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to five thousand rupees, or with both;
(b) where the summons, notice, order or proclamation is to attend in person or by agent, or to produce a document or electronic record in a Court, with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both.
Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 207
Section 207 punishes any person who intentionally prevents the service on themselves or any other person of any summons, notice, or order lawfully issued by a public servant, or who prevents its publication.
The bailiff's or process server's contemporaneous service return report is the core prosecution document. Cross-examination must test whether substitute service procedure under Section 67-69 BNSS was properly complied with.