Court may alter charge
Section 216 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act deals with court may alter charge. Any Court may alter or add to any charge at any time before judgment is pronounced.
(1) Any Court may alter or add to any charge at any time before judgment is pronounced.
(2) Every such alteration or addition shall be read and explained to the accused.
(3) If the alteration or addition to a charge is such that proceeding immediately with the trial is not likely, in the opinion of the Court, to prejudice the accused in his defence or the prosecutor in the conduct of the case, the Court may, in its discretion, after such alteration or addition has been made, proceed with the trial as if the altered or added charge had been the original charge.
(4) If the alteration or addition is such that proceeding immediately with the trial is likely, in the opinion of the Court, to prejudice the accused or the prosecutor as aforesaid, the Court may either direct a new trial or adjourn the trial for such period as may be necessary.
(5) If the offence stated in the altered or added charge is one for the prosecution of which previous sanction is necessary, the case shall not be proceeded with until such sanction is obtained, unless sanction has been already obtained for a prosecution on the same facts as those on which the altered or added charge is founded.
Section 216, The Code of Criminal Procedure Act (Act 2 of 1974).
Questions about Section 216
What does Section 216 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act deal with?
Section 216 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act is headed "Court may alter charge". Any Court may alter or add to any charge at any time before judgment is pronounced.
How do I find court cases under Section 216 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act?
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: Code Criminal Procedure Act 216, section 216 Code Criminal Procedure Act, section 216 of the Code of Criminal Procedure Act. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome.
When was the Code of Criminal Procedure Act enacted?
Code of Criminal Procedure Act was enacted in 1974 as Act 2 of 1974. India Code records no commencement date for it. It is no longer in force.
Other sections of this Act
- 484. Repeal and savings25553 words
- 320. Compounding of offences1305 words
- 164. Recording of confessions and statements1142 words
- 167. Procedure when investigation cannot be completed in twenty-four hours1114 words
- 437. When bail may be taken in case of non-bailable offence998 words
- 220. Trial for more than one offence960 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. Read from the Government's own scanned gazette with Azure Document Intelligence, then split into sections by their numbering. India Code publishes no text for this Act. The scan itself is mirrored into our own storage and served at /scan/aedad03b-d75d-4ad4-8833-2e467cc050cc.pdf, so the reading here can be checked against the page it came from without depending on India Code's own copy staying where it is (it was at https://indiacode.gov.in/server/api/core/bitstreams/aa576da2-2e5f-4165-923b-39fc1a0f416b/content). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.