Power to hold investigation or preliminary inquiry.
What this section does
On receiving a report under section 176, the Magistrate may direct an investigation or may himself proceed, or depute a subordinate Magistrate, to hold a preliminary inquiry or otherwise dispose of the case as provided under the Sanhita. The Magistrate has discretion to choose between directing investigation and conducting a preliminary inquiry.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
Procedure at a glance
- Key actors
- Magistrate · Subordinate Magistrate
- Time limit
- None specified
Derived from CrPC s.159.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BNSS Section 178, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BNSS Section 178 forms part of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita which replaced the Code of Criminal Procedure 1973 on 1 July 2024. Any new filing, FIR, charge sheet, or bail application made on or after that date should cite the new section number. References to the old act in legacy documents remain valid for matters that arose before the changeover.