Conviction on plea of guilty
Section 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 deals with conviction on plea of guilty. If the accused pleads guilty, the Magistrate shall record the plea as nearly as possible in the words used by the accused and may, in his discretion, convict him thereon. The Act came into force on 01 Apr 1974. Repealed by section 531 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (46 of 2023) with effect from 1 July 2024, but conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under it.
If the accused pleads guilty, the Magistrate shall record the plea as nearly as possible in the words used by the accused and may, in his discretion, convict him thereon.
Section 252, The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Act 2 of 1974).
Now in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita
BNSS 275 Conviction on plea of guilty Text carried over almost unchanged 100%
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 The repealed enactment still governs what happened while it was in force.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.
Referred to by 2
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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State Sub Inspector of Police vs Thanki Srinivas
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
A voluntary and uncoerced admission of guilt by an accused person, when properly recorded after examination under Section 251 Cr.P.C and after ensuring the accused understands the nature of accusation, is sufficient basis for conviction under Section 252 Cr.P.C without the necessity of adducing oral or documentary evidence. In cases of negligent acts likely to spread dangerous disease during public health emergencies (such as COVID-19 pandemic), operating commercial establishments in violation of Section 144 Cr.P.C quarantine orders constitutes an offence under Section 269 IPC, and conviction with appropriate punishment is warranted to protect public health and enforce compliance with emergency regulations.
On this section: Conviction on plea of guilty. Court convicted the accused under this section based on his voluntary admission of guilt without adducing any evidence.
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State Sub Inspector of Police vs Rregulabanda Manikanta
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
A person who negligently keeps a commercial establishment open in violation of Section 144 Cr.P.C quarantine orders during a COVID-19 pandemic, thereby creating a risk of spreading dangerous disease infection to the public, commits an offence under Section 269 IPC. Upon voluntary admission of guilt by such person, conviction is warranted, and a fine proportionate to the nature of the offence is an appropriate punishment.
On this section: Conviction on plea of guilty. The accused was convicted under this section based on his voluntary admission of guilt.
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S.I of police, Mandapeta Rural P.s vs Sanagala Srinu
Court's Decision & Legal Precedent
When an accused voluntarily admits guilt to charges of violating government orders and causing danger to human life, and presents mitigating circumstances such as being the sole breadwinner of dependent family members, the court may impose lenient sentences in the form of fines with imprisonment only in default, while declining to invoke the Probation of Offenders Act if the circumstances do not warrant full probation.
On this section: Conviction of accused. Applied to record conviction of the accused after guilty plea and examination.
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.
Judgments citing this section
These may be obiter dicta or a precedent, for you to study. These are the judgments where this section is quoted.
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… Accordingly, I hold the accused guilty and proceed to pass the following order. O R D E R 1. Accused Ranjit Shivaji Ghorpade is convicted for the offence punishable under Section 269 of the Indian Penal Code vide Section 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and sentenced to pay fine of Rs.2000/ (Rs. Two Thousand) & in default to suffer S.I. for 5 days. Digitally signed by Prashant Vishwanath Suryawanshi Date: 2020.06.26 Palus Date : 26.06.2020. Judicial Magistrate First Class, Palus. 15:17:27 +0530 I affirm that the contents of …
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… Considering the nature of offence, plea of accused and object of today's Special Drive Court, I accept the plea of accused and proceed to pass the following order. ORDER - 1. Accused is hereby convicted for the offence under section 283 of the Indian Penal Code vide provisions of section 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and sentenced to pay fine of Rs.200/ (Rs.Two hundred only), in default, to suffer simple imprisonment for 7 (Seven) days vide provisions of section 67 of the Indian Penal Code. - 2. A copy of this judgment be given to accused free of cost. sd/xxx Islampur (Suhas P. Bhosale) …
Questions about Section 252
What have the courts held on Section 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure?
State Sub Inspector of Police vs Thanki Srinivas (16 Aug 2021) is the leading judgment on this section among those set out below: Conviction on plea of guilty. Court convicted the accused under this section based on his voluntary admission of guilt without adducing any evidence. Another 2 judgments on this section are set out below. They run from 2020 to 2021.
How do I find court cases under Section 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure?
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: CRPC 252, section 252 CRPC, section 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Each opens the full list of orders on eCourtsIndia, where it can be narrowed by court, year and outcome. 3 reported judgments on this section are set out on this page, beginning with State Sub Inspector of Police vs Thanki Srinivas (16 Aug 2021).
What should I read with Section 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, and has it changed?
2 other provisions in this corpus refer back to it. For anything done on or after 1 July 2024 the provision to read is BNSS 275 (Conviction on plea of guilty), which replaced it; conduct before that date is still charged, tried and appealed under this section.
When did Section 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure come into force?
Section 252 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, cited as CRPC 252, came into force on 01 Apr 1974, having been enacted on 25 Jan 1974. It is no longer in force.
Other sections of this Act
- 320. Compounding of offences1554 words
- 167. Procedure when investigation cannot be completed in twenty four hours1005 words
- 220. Trial for more than one offence962 words
- 360. Order to release on probation of good conduct or after admonition804 words
- 2. Definitions799 words
- 198. Prosecution for offences against marriage774 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. Recovered from the consolidated text published by India Code (item 330a1099-77ad-4a2e-b22a-769b33398f9e). This page is not a substitute for legal advice.