Search by police officer.

What this section does

An officer in charge of a police station or an investigating police officer who has reasonable grounds to believe that anything necessary for the investigation may be found in a place within the station limits, and that it cannot otherwise be obtained without undue delay, may search or cause a search to be made after recording the grounds and specifying the thing sought in writing in the case-diary. The search must be conducted in person if practicable and must be recorded through audio-video electronic means, preferably by mobile phone; if the officer cannot conduct it personally, a subordinate may be directed in writing. Copies of the record must be sent to the nearest Magistrate empowered to take cognizance within forty-eight hours, and the owner or occupier of the searched place is entitled to a free copy on application.

AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).

Procedure at a glance

Key actors

Officer in charge of police station · Police officer · Subordinate officer · Magistrate · Owner/occupier of searched place

Time limit

Copies of search record to be sent to nearest Magistrate within 48 hours

Derived from CrPC s.165.