Supply of copies of statements and documents to accused in other cases triable by Court of Session
Section 231 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 deals with supply of copies of statements and documents to accused in other cases triable by Court of Session. Where, in a case instituted otherwise than on a police report, it appears to the Magistrate issuing process under section 227 that the offence is triable exclusively by the Court of Session, the Magistrate shall forthwith furnish to the accused, free of cost, a copy of each of the following:— (i) th The Act came into force on 01 Jul 2024.
Where, in a case instituted otherwise than on a police report, it appears to the Magistrate issuing process under section 227 that the offence is triable exclusively by the Court of Session, the Magistrate shall forthwith furnish to the accused, free of cost, a copy of each of the following:—
(i) the statements recorded under section 223 or section 225, of all persons examined by the Magistrate;
(ii) the statements and confessions, if any, recorded under section 180 or section 183;
(iii) any documents produced before the Magistrate on which the prosecution proposes to rely:
Provided that if the Magistrate is satisfied that any such document is voluminous, he shall, instead of furnishing the accused with a copy thereof, direct that he will only be allowed to inspect it either personally or through an advocate in Court:
Provided further that supply of documents in electronic form shall be considered as duly furnished.
Section 231, The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Act 46 of 2023).
Replaces a provision of the Code of Criminal Procedure
CRPC 208 Supply of copies of statements and documents to accused in other casestriable by Court of Session Text carried over almost unchanged 87%
Measured by comparing the text of the two provisions, not taken from an official correspondence table — there is no machine-readable one. See both texts side by side before relying on it.
Both regimes are live. The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force. We never redirect one to the other.
Cross-references
Extracted from the operative text of the enactments themselves. Every destination below exists in our corpus.
This section refers to
Related judgements & precedents
These are some judgments that construed this section, and hold precedence value. They hold authority on how to read, interpret and use this section.
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Ram Prakash Chaddha vs The State of Uttar Pradesh
Decided under Code of Criminal Procedure 208, which this section replaces. The court did not have this Act before it.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
At the stage of considering discharge application under Section 227 Cr.PC, the court must confine its consideration to 'the record of the case and the documents submitted therewith' (prosecution materials only) and determine whether a prima facie case exists based on grave suspicion emerging from such materials. Mere suspicion, supposition, or conjecture not founded on materials on record cannot justify framing charges. In cases of criminal conspiracy, there must be at least an allegation of agreement between conspirators; absent such allegation or evidence of agreement in prosecution materials, charges of conspiracy cannot be framed merely on basis of suspicious circumstances. The court is not a mere post office of prosecution but must exercise independent judicial mind to protect accused from frivolous prosecution, especially at pre-trial stage.
On this section: Relates to documents to be supplied to accused; relevant for determining what constitutes 'record of case and documents submitted therewith' under Section 227
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Dr. L.sudhakar vs P.rama Krishna Reddy
Decided under Code of Criminal Procedure 208, which this section replaces. The court did not have this Act before it.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Evidence of medical doctors in criminal negligence cases constitutes substantive evidence and cannot be admitted through notarized affidavits under Section 296 Cr.P.C. The procedure prescribed under Section 200 Cr.P.C. for examination of complainant and witnesses upon oath, with substance reduced to writing and signed by all parties, is mandatory and cannot be defeated by adopting alternative procedures such as notarized affidavits, even if more convenient. The legality of interlocutory orders can be examined in a revision filed against final orders, notwithstanding that no direct revision lies against interlocutory orders.
On this section: Examination of witnesses by Magistrate in Sessions Cases - cited in the earlier remand order regarding proper procedure for recording witness statements
The holding above is the ratio decidendi as extracted from the judgment by eCourts India, reproduced unaltered — it is a rendering of the court's reasoning, not a substitute for its words. Read the order itself before relying on it.
Questions about Section 231
What have the courts held on Section 231 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita?
Ram Prakash Chaddha vs The State of Uttar Pradesh (15 Jul 2024) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below, though it was decided under CRPC 208, which this section replaced -- the court never mentioned this Act: Relates to documents to be supplied to accused; relevant for determining what constitutes 'record of case and documents submitted therewith' under Section 227. Another 1 judgment on this section is set out below, 1 of them from the Supreme Court. They run from 2012 to 2024.
How do I find court cases under Section 231 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita?
In judgments and charge sheets this section is written several ways, and each form finds a different set of orders. These search the full text of every order eCourtsIndia holds, best matches first: BNSS 231, section 231 BNSS, section 231 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. People searching for it also type bns 231 section and 231 bnss in crpc. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 2 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with Ram Prakash Chaddha vs The State of Uttar Pradesh (15 Jul 2024).
What should I read with Section 231 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and has it changed?
Its own text turns on section 180 (Examination of witnesses by police), section 183 (Recording of confessions and statements), section 223 (Examination of complainant), section 225 (Postponement of issue of process), and on 1 further provision, so none of them can safely be read on its own. 1 other provision in this corpus refers back to it. It carries forward CrPC 208 (Supply of copies of statements and documents to accused in other casestriable by Court of Session), so the judgments decided under that provision are the case law on this one.
When did Section 231 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita come into force?
Section 231 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, cited as BNSS 231, came into force on 01 Jul 2024, having been enacted on 25 Dec 2023. It is in force as at the date shown on this page.
Other sections of this Act
- 359. Compounding of offences1355 words
- 187. Procedure when investigation cannot be completed in twenty-four hours1122 words
- 2. Definitions956 words
- 243. Trial for more than one offence930 words
- 35. When police may arrest without warrant881 words
- 480. When bail may be taken in case of non-bailable offence823 words
Source and method. Compiled from the enactments of Parliament and of the State legislatures as published on India Code, and republished together with commentary and other original matter under section 52(1)(q)(ii) of the Copyright Act, 1957. Structured, cross-referenced and maintained by eCourtsIndia. Text as in force on 14 Oct 2026. This page is not a substitute for legal advice.