BNSS Section 54 — Identification of person arrested

Summary

If a person is arrested for an offence, and the police need someone else to identify that arrested person as part of the investigation, a court with authority can order the arrested person to take part in an identification process. The court decides how this identification will happen. If the person doing the identifying has a mental or physical disability, a Magistrate must supervise the process, use methods the person is comfortable with, and record the identification using audio-video electronic means.

Official Text

Where a person is arrested on a charge of committing an offence and his identification by any other person or persons is considered necessary for the purpose of investigation of such offence, the Court, having jurisdiction may, on the request of the officer in charge of a police station, direct the person so arrested to subject himself to identification by any person or persons in such manner as the Court may deem fit:

Provided that if the person identifying the person arrested is mentally or physically disabled, such process of identification shall take place under the supervision of a Magistrate who shall take appropriate steps to ensure that such person identifies the person arrested using methods that person is comfortable with and the identification process shall be recorded by any audio-video electronic means.

Related Judgments

• SC (2025) Vol.5 p.730 — 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.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.1588 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.8 p.785 — Supreme Court of India (2025)
• SC (2025) Vol.1 p.1469 — Supreme Court of India (2025)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• CrPC §54A — Identification of person arrested