Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XV: Conditions Requisite for Initiation of Proceedings
Section 220: Prosecution of offences under section 85 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
In plain words
A court can take cognizance of cruelty by a husband or his relatives under section 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 only on a police report, or a complaint by the woman, her parent, sibling, aunt or uncle, or with the court's leave another relative by blood, marriage or adoption.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
No Court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under section 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 except upon a police report of facts which constitute such offence or upon a complaint made by the person aggrieved by the offence or by her father, mother, brother, sister or by her father’s or mother’s brother or sister or, with the leave of the Court, by any other person related to her by blood, marriage or adoption.
Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 12 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 220
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.