Cognizance of offences by Courts of Session Additional and Assistant Sessions Judges to try cases made over to them Prosecution for contempt of lawful authority of public servants, for offences against public justice and for offences relating to documents given in evidence are defined under Section 193, 194 and 195 of CRPC 1973. Provisions under these sections are:
Section 193 of CRPC "Cognizance of offences by Courts of Session"
Except as otherwise expressly provided by this Code or by any other law for the time being in force, no Court of Session shall take cognizance of any offence as a Court of original jurisdiction unless the case has been committed to it by a Magistrate under this Code.
Section 194 of CRPC "Additional and Assistant Sessions Judges to try cases made over to them"
As Additional Sessions Judge or Assistant Sessions Judge shall try such cases as the Sessions Judge of the division may, by general or special order, make over to him for trial or as the High Court may, by special order, direct him to try.
Section 195 of CRPC "Prosecution for contempt of lawful authority of public servants, for offences against public justice and for offences relating to documents given in evidence"
(1) No Court shall take cognizance-
(a) (i) of any offence punishable under sections 172 to 188 (both inclusive) of the Indian Penal Code, (45 of 1860), or
(ii) of any abetment of, or attempt to commit, such offence, or
(iii) of any criminal conspiracy to commit such offence,
except on the complaint in writing of the public servant concerned or of
some other public servant to whom he is administratively subordinate;
(b) (i) of any offence punishable under any of the following sections of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), namely, sections 193 to 196 (both inclusive), 199, 200, 205 to 211 (both inclusive) and 228, when such offence is alleged to have been committed in, or in relation to, any proceeding in any Court, or
(ii) of any offence described in section 463, or punishable under section
471, section 475 or section 476, of the said Code, when such offence is
alleged to have been committed in respect of a document produced or given in
evidence in a proceeding in any Court, or
(iii) of any criminal conspiracy to commit, or attempt to commit, or the abetment of, any offence specified in sub-clause (i) or sub-clause (ii),
1[except on the complaint in writing of that Court or by such officer of the Court as that Court may authorise in writing in this behalf, or of some other Court to which that Court is subordinate.]
(2) Where a complaint has been made by a public servant under clause (a) of sub-section (1) any authority to which he is administratively subordinate may order the withdrawal of the complaint and send a copy of such order to the Court; and upon its receipt by the Court, no further proceedings shall be taken on the complaint:
Provided that no such withdrawal shall be ordered if the trial in the Court of first instance has been concluded.
(3) In clause (b) of sub-section (1), the term "Court" means a Civil, Revenue or Criminal Court, and includes a tribunal constituted by or under a Central, Provincial or State Act if declared by that Act to be a Court for the purposes of this section.
(4) For the purposes of clause (b) of sub-section (1), a Court shall be deemed to be subordinate to the Court to which appeals ordinarily lie from the appealable decrees or sentences of such former Court, or in the case of a Civil Court from whose decrees no appeal ordinarily lies, to the principal Court having ordinary original civil jurisdiction within whose local jurisdiction such Civil Court is situate:
Provided that-
(a) where appeals lie to more than one Court, the Appellate Court of
inferior jurisdiction shall be the Court to which such Court shall be deemed
to be subordinate;
(b) where appeals lie to a Civil and also to a Revenue Court, such Court shall be deemed to be subordinate to the Civil or Revenue Court according to the nature of the case or proceeding in connection with which the offence is alleged to have been committed.
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1. Subs. by Act 2 of 2006, s. 3, for certain words (w.e.f. 16-4-2006).
Section 195A of CRPC Procedure for witnesses in case of threatening, etc
1[A witness or any other person may file a complaint in relation to an offence under section 195A of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).]
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1. Ins. by Act 5 of 2009, s.17 (w.e.f. 31-12-2009).
Section 196 of CRPC Prosecution for offences against the State
and for criminal conspiracy to commit such offence
(1) No Court shall take cognizance of-
(a) any offence punishable under Chapter VI or under section 153A,1[section 295A or sub-section (1) of section 505] of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), or
(b) a criminal conspiracy to commit such offence, or
(c) any such abetment, as is described in section 108A of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860),
except with the previous sanction of the Central Government or of the State Government.
2[(1A) No Court shall take cognizance of
(a) any offence punishable under section 153B or sub-section (2) or sub-section (3) of section 505 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), or
(b) a criminal conspiracy to commit such offence,
except with the previous sanction of the Central Government or of the State
Government or of the District Magistrate.]
(2) No Court shall take cognizance of the offence of any criminal conspiracy punishable under section 120B of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), other than a criminal conspiracy to commit 3 [an offence] punishable with death, imprisonment for life or rigorous imprisonment for a term of two years or upwards, unless the State Government or the District Magistrate has consented in writing to the initiation of the proceedings:
Provided that where the criminal conspiracy is one to which the provisions of section 195 apply, no such consent shall be necessary.
(3) The Central Government or the State Government may, before according sanction 4[under sub-section (1) or sub-section (1A)] and the District Magistrate may, before according sanction under sub-section (1A) and the State Government or the District Magistrate may, before giving consent under sub-section (2), order a preliminary investigation by a police officer not being below the rank of Inspector, in which case such police officer shall have the powers referred to in sub-section (3) of section 155.
STATE AMENDMENT
Manipur
In section 196 of the Code, after sub-section (3), the following sub-section
shall be added, namely:--
"(4) No Specified Executive Magistrate shall take cognizance of any offence except with the previous sanction of the state Government or such other authority or officer as it may, by order published in the official Gazette, specify."
[Vide Manipur Act 3 of 1985, s. 4(2) and the Schedule]
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1. Subs. by Act 63 of 1980, s. 3, for "section 153B, section 295A or section 505" (w.e.f. 23-9-1980).
2. Ins. by s. 3, ibid. (w.e.f. 23-9-1980).
3. Subs. by Act 45 of 1978, s. 16, for "a cognizable offence" (w.e.f. 18-12-1978).
4. Subs. by Act 63 of 1980, s. 3, for "under sub-section (1)" (w.e.f. 23-9-1980).
CONDITIONS REQUISITE FOR INITIATION OF PROCEEDING
What is Prosecution of Judges and public servants? Section 197 of Code of Criminal Procedure 1973
What is Prosecution for offences against marriage? Section 198 of Code of Criminal Procedure 1973
COMPLAINTS TO MAGISTRATES