CrPC Section 220 — Trial for more than one offence

Summary

Sub-section (1) allows the same person to be charged with and tried in one trial for multiple offences committed in a connected series of acts that form the same transaction.

Sub-section (2) allows a person charged with one or more offences of criminal breach of trust or dishonest misappropriation of property, as referred to in section 212(2) or section 219(1), to be charged with and tried in the same trial for related offences of falsifying accounts. The falsification must be alleged to have been done to facilitate or conceal the commission of the other offence or offences.

Sub-section (3) allows a person to be charged with and tried in one trial for each offence where the alleged acts fit two or more separate legal definitions of offences.

Sub-section (4) allows a person to be charged with and tried in one trial for an offence formed by combining several acts, and for any offence formed by one or more of those acts on their own.

Sub-section (5) says that this section does not affect section 71 of the Indian Penal Code.

Official Text

(1) If, in one series of acts so connected together as to form the same transaction, more offences than one are committed by the same person, he may be charged with, and tried at one trial for, every such offence.

(2) When a person charged with one or more offences of criminal breach of trust or dishonest misappropriation of property as provided in sub-section (2) of section 212 or in sub-section (1) of section 219, is accused of committing, for the purpose of facilitating or concealing the commission of that offence or those offences, one or more offences of falsification of accounts, he may be charged with, and tried at one trial for, every such offence.

(3) If the acts alleged constitute an offence falling within two or more separate definitions of any law in force for the time being by which offences are defined or punished, the person accused of them may be charged with, and tried at one trial for, each of such offences.

(4) If several acts, of which one or more than one would by itself or themselves constitute an offence, constitute when combined a different offence, the person accused of them may be charged with, and tried at one trial for the offence constituted by such acts when combined, and for any offence constituted by any one, or more, of such acts.

(5) Nothing contained in this section shall affect section 71 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).

Sections referred to

• CrPC §212 — Particulars as to time, place and person
• CrPC §219 — Three offences of same kind within year may be charged together
• IPC §71 — Limit of punishment of offence made up of several offences

Referred to by

• CrPC §184 — Place of trial for offences triable together
• CrPC §218 — Separate charges for distinct offences
• CrPC §300 — Person once convicted or acquitted not to be tried for same offence

Related Judgments

• ESSAR TELEHOLDINGS LTD. vs REGISTRAR GENERAL, DELHI HIGH COURT & ORS — Supreme Court of India (2013)
• Judgment reserved on :18th September, 2025; Judgment delivered on :19t vs STATE GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS — Delhi High Court (2025)
• SATYAVIR SINGH RATHI vs STATE THR. C.B.I — Supreme Court of India (2011)
• ESSAR TELEHOLDINGS LTD. vs CENTRAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION — Supreme Court of India (2015)
• BALDEV SINGH vs STATE OF PUNJAB — Supreme Court of India (2013)
• THE STATE (NCT) OF DELHI vs KHIMJI BHAI JADEJA — Supreme Court of India (2026)

Old <-> New Code Mapping

• BNSS §243 — Trial for more than one offence