Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 · Chapter XXVI: Provisions As to Offences Affecting the Administration of Justice
Section 346: Procedure where Court considers that case should not be dealt with under section 345
The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. It still applies to matters and proceedings from before that date, as the repealing law provides.
In plain words
If the court thinks the offender should be imprisoned other than for non-payment, fined more than two hundred rupees, or otherwise not dealt with under section 345, it can record the facts and statement and send the case to a competent Magistrate, taking security or sending the person in custody. The Magistrate deals with it as if on a police report.
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 the Court in any case considers that a person accused of any of the offences referred to in section 345 and committed in its view or presence should be imprisoned otherwise than in default of payment of fine, or that a fine exceeding two hundred rupees should be imposed upon him, or such Court is for any other reason of opinion that the case should not be disposed of under section 345, such Court, after recording the facts constituting the offence and the statement of the accused as hereinbefore provided, may forward the case to a Magistrate having jurisdiction to try the same, and may require security to be given for the appearance of such person before such Magistrate, or if sufficient security is not given, shall forward such person in custody to such Magistrate.
(2) The Magistrate to whom any case is forwarded under this section shall proceed to deal with, as far as may be, as if it were instituted on a police report.
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 (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. 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 346
- Kiran Singh v. National Human Rights Commission & Ors
- National Commission for Protection of Child Rights & Ors. v. Dr. Rajesh Kumar & Ors.
- Fera v. M/S. Premier Limited (Formerly Premier Automobiles Ltd.) & Ors.
- State of Gujarat & Ors. v. Utility Users’ Welfare Association & Ors.
- A.P. Power Coordination Committee & Ors. v. Mis. Lanco Kondapalli Power Ltd. & Ors.
- Super Cassettes Industries Ltd. v. Music Broadcast Pvt. Ltd.
- Kanwar Natwar Singh v. Directorate of Enforcement & Anr
- Prakash H. Jain v. M/S. Marie Fernandes
- Kiran Bedi & Ors. v. Committee of Inquiry & Anr.
- Dr. Baliram Waman Hiray v. Justice B. Lentin and Others