BNSS · Section 255 · Chapter XIX — TRIAL BEFORE A COURT OF SESSION

Acquittal.

What this section does

After taking prosecution evidence, examining the accused, and hearing both sides, if the Sessions Judge finds no evidence that the accused committed the offence, the Judge shall record an order of acquittal. This is a mandatory acquittal where the evidentiary threshold is not met.

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

Procedure at a glance

Key actors: Sessions Judge · Prosecution · Defence · Accused

Old-law correspondence

Derived from CrPC s.232.

Read the official text

For the binding statutory text of BNSS Section 255, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.

Why this matters

BNSS Section 255 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.