BNSS Section 210 — Cognizance of offences by Magistrate

Summary

A Magistrate of the first class can take legal notice of any offence. This can happen in three ways: when someone files a complaint about the facts of the offence, when the police submit a report (including an electronic report) about those facts, or when the Magistrate receives information from any person (other than a police officer) or knows about the offence themselves. A Magistrate of the second class can also do this, but only if the Chief Judicial Magistrate has given them special permission to handle certain offences.

Official Text

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Chapter, any Magistrate of the first class, and any Magistrate of the second class specially empowered in this behalf under sub-section (2), may take cognizance of any offence—

(a) upon receiving a complaint of facts, including any complaint filed by a person authorised under any special law, which constitutes such offence;

(b) upon a police report (submitted in any mode including electronic mode) of such facts;

(c) upon information received from any person other than a police officer, or upon his own knowledge, that such offence has been committed.

(2) The Chief Judicial Magistrate may empower any Magistrate of the second class to take cognizance under sub-section (1) of such offences as are within his competence to inquire into or try.

Related Judgments

• SC (2025) Vol.5 p.730 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.1 p.1469 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.6 p.545 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2024) Vol.7 p.979 — Supreme Court of India (2024)
• SC (2025) Vol.3 p.1309 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.11 p.291 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• .. Petitioner/Accused No.12 vs The State of Tamilnadu, — Madras High Court ()
• SC (2025) Vol.2 p.424 — Supreme Court of India (2025)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• CrPC §190 — Cognizance of offences by Magistrate