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Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter VII: Processes to Compel the Production of Things · A.—Summons to produce

Section 94: Summons to produce document or other thing

Earlier law: CrPC section 91 (Summons to produce document or other thing)

In plain words

A court can issue a summons, or a police station officer can give a written or electronic order, requiring a person to produce a document, electronic communication, device likely to hold digital evidence, or other thing needed for an investigation, inquiry, trial or other proceeding.

  • A person asked only to produce something can send it instead of attending personally.
  • This does not affect sections 129 and 130 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 or the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891, and does not apply to items in postal custody.

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) Whenever any Court or any officer in charge of a police station considers that the production of any document, electronic communication, including communication devices, which is likely to contain digital evidence or other thing is necessary or desirable for the purposes of any investigation, inquiry, trial or other proceeding under this Sanhita by or before such Court or officer, such Court may issue a summons or such officer may, by a written order, either in physical form or in electronic form, require the person in whose possession or power such document or thing is believed to be, to attend and produce it, or to produce it, at the time and place stated in the summons or order.

(2) Any person required under this section merely to produce a document, or other thing shall be deemed to have complied with the requisition if he causes such document or thing to be produced instead of attending personally to produce the same.

(3) Nothing in this section shall be deemed—

(a) to affect sections 129 and 130 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 or the Bankers’ Books Evidence Act, 1891 (13 of 1891); or

(b) to apply to a letter, postcard, or other document or any parcel or thing in the custody of the postal authority.

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 94