What Is BNSS Section 233?

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 - Section 233: Procedure to be Followed When There is a Complaint Case and Police Investigation in Respect of Same Offence

(1) When in a case instituted otherwise than on a police report (hereinafter referred to as a complaint case), it is made to appear to the Magistrate, during the course of the inquiry or trial held by him, that an investigation by the police is in progress in relation to the offence which is the subject-matter of the inquiry or trial held by him, the Magistrate shall stay the proceedings of such inquiry or trial and call for a report on the matter from the police officer conducting the investigation.

(2) If a report is made by the investigating police officer under section 193 and on such report cognizance of any offence is taken by the Magistrate against any person who is an accused in the complaint case, the Magistrate shall inquire into or try together the complaint case and the case arising out of the police report as if both the cases were instituted on a police report.

(3) If the police report does not relate to any accused in the complaint case or if the Magistrate does not take cognizance of any offence on the police report, he shall proceed with the inquiry or trial, which was stayed by him, in accordance with the provisions of this Sanhita.

Brefe Detail

Section 233 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, outlines the procedure when a complaint case is instituted while a police investigation is ongoing for the same offence. It states that if the Magistrate becomes aware of a police investigation during the inquiry or trial, he must stay the proceedings and request a report from the investigating officer. If the police report leads to cognizance against an accused in the complaint case, both cases are to be tried together. Conversely, if the police report is unrelated or no cognizance is taken, the Magistrate will resume the original inquiry or trial.

Question & Answers

What should a Magistrate do if he learns of a police investigation during a complaint case?

The Magistrate must stay the proceedings of the inquiry or trial and request a report from the police officer conducting the investigation.

What happens if the police report leads to cognizance of an offence against an accused in the complaint case?

The Magistrate will inquire into or try the complaint case and the case arising from the police report together as if both were instituted on a police report.

What if the police report does not relate to any accused in the complaint case?

If the police report does not relate to any accused or if no cognizance is taken on the police report, the Magistrate shall continue with the inquiry or trial that was previously stayed.

Example

- Scenario 1: A complaint case is filed for theft. During the trial, it is revealed that the police are also investigating the same theft. The Magistrate stays the trial and requests a police report.

- Scenario 2: The police submit a report identifying the same accused as in the complaint. The Magistrate combines both cases for trial.

- Scenario 3: If the police report involves different individuals or no cognizance is taken, the Magistrate resumes the original trial of the complaint case.

Summary

Section 233 ensures that when there are overlapping legal proceedings regarding the same offence—one through a complaint and another via police investigation—the Magistrate has a clear protocol to follow. This includes staying proceedings, requesting police reports, and determining how to handle concurrent cases to maintain judicial efficiency and fairness.