Information as to commission of offences
Section 131 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 deals with information as to commission of offences. No Magistrate or police officer shall be compelled to say when he got any information as to the commission of any offence, and no revenue officer shall be compelled to say when he got any information as to the commission of any offence against the public revenue. The Act came into force on 01 Jul 2024.
No Magistrate or police officer shall be compelled to say when he got any information as to the commission of any offence, and no revenue officer shall be compelled to say when he got any information as to the commission of any offence against the public revenue.
Explanation.--"revenue officer" means any officer employed in or about the business of any branch of the public revenue.
Section 131, The Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 (Act 47 of 2023).
Replaces a provision of the Indian Evidence Act
IEA 125 Information as to commission of offences Text carried over almost unchanged 95%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
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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Mahendra Rajendra Thakur vs The State of Maharashtra
Decided under Indian Evidence Act 125, which this section replaces. The court did not have this Act before it.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
All three ingredients of Section 489(C) IPC - possession of counterfeit notes, knowledge that they are counterfeit, and intention to use them as genuine - were proved against the appellants through: (1) direct evidence of recovery of 48 counterfeit notes from their possession; (2) expert report from India Security Press confirming all notes were counterfeit; (3) circumstantial evidence and testimony of accomplice witnesses establishing knowledge and intention; (4) the appellants' failure to offer any explanation for their possession. Therefore, the conviction under Section 489(C) r/w 34 IPC is justified. However, considering the small quantity of notes and the substantial pre-trial custody already undergone (ranging from 19 months 11 days to 21 months 10 days), the sentence should be reduced to time already served rather than the three years imposed by the trial court.
On this section: Cited to protect the identity of police informers; court held that information from informers need not be recorded as FIR to protect informer confidentiality
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State vs Yashsvi Somvanshi
Decided under Indian Evidence Act 125, which this section replaces. The court did not have this Act before it.
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
Conviction cannot be based solely on a confession made to RPF officers when the investigation is admitted to be biased and corroborative material (like witness testimony or bank records) is absent.
On this section: Principles regarding judicial appreciation of evidence.
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 131
What have the courts held on Section 131 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam?
Mahendra Rajendra Thakur vs The State of Maharashtra (07 Jun 2007) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below, though it was decided under IEA 125, which this section replaced -- the court never mentioned this Act: Cited to protect the identity of police informers; court held that information from informers need not be recorded as FIR to protect informer confidentiality. Another 1 judgment on this section is set out below. They run from 2007 to 2026.
How do I find court cases under Section 131 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam?
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: BSA 131, section 131 BSA, section 131 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam. People searching for it also type 131 bsa act. 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 Mahendra Rajendra Thakur vs The State of Maharashtra (07 Jun 2007).
What should I read with Section 131 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, and has it changed?
It carries forward IEA 125 (Information as to commission of offences), so the judgments decided under that provision are the case law on this one.
When did Section 131 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam come into force?
Section 131 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, cited as BSA 131, 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
- 26. Cases in which statement of relevant fact by person who is dead or cannot be found, etc., is relevant1128 words
- 12. Facts showing existence of state of mind, or of body or bodily feeling1076 words
- 95. Exclusion of evidence of oral agreement815 words
- 2. Definitions794 words
- 6. Motive, preparation and previous or subsequent conduct773 words
- 63. Admissibility of electronic records764 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.