BNSS · Section 197 · Chapter XIV — JURISDICTION OF THE CRIMINAL COURTS IN INQUIRIES AND TRIALS

Ordinary place of inquiry and trial.

What this section does

Every offence shall ordinarily be inquired into and tried by a Court within whose local jurisdiction it was committed. This is the foundational rule of territorial jurisdiction for criminal courts.

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

Procedure at a glance

Key actors: Court
Time limit: None specified

Old-law correspondence

Derived from CrPC s.177.

Read the official text

For the binding statutory text of BNSS Section 197, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.

Why this matters

BNSS Section 197 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.