Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XXVIII: Provisions As to Offences Affecting the Administration of Justice
Section 389: Summary procedure for punishment for non-attendance by a witness in obedience to summons
In plain words
A summoned witness who, without just excuse, fails to attend court or leaves early can, if justice requires, be tried summarily by that court, after a chance to show cause, and fined up to five hundred rupees.
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) If any witness being summoned to appear before a Criminal Court is legally bound to appear at a certain place and time in obedience to the summons and without just excuse neglects or refuses to attend at that place or time or departs from the place where he has to attend before the time at which it is lawful for him to depart, and the Court before which the witness is to appear is satisfied that it is expedient in the interests of justice that such a witness should be tried summarily, the Court may take cognizance of the offence and after giving the offender an opportunity of showing cause why he should not be punished under this section, sentence him to fine not exceeding five hundred rupees.
(2) In every such case the Court shall follow, as nearly as may be practicable, the procedure prescribed for summary trials.
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 389
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.