Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XXVI: General Provisions As to Inquiries and Trials
Section 339: Permission to conduct prosecution
In plain words
A Magistrate can permit anyone to conduct a prosecution, except a police officer below the rank of inspector or one who took part in the investigation. Only the Advocate-General, a Government Advocate or a Public or Assistant Public Prosecutor can do so without permission. The person can act personally or through an advocate.
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
(1) Any Magistrate inquiring into or trying a case may permit the prosecution to be conducted by any person other than a police officer below the rank of inspector; but no person, other than the Advocate-General or Government Advocate or a Public Prosecutor or Assistant Public Prosecutor, shall be entitled to do so without such permission:
Provided that no police officer shall be permitted to conduct the prosecution if he has taken part in the investigation into the offence with respect to which the accused is being prosecuted.
(2) Any person conducting the prosecution may do so personally or by an advocate.
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 339
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.