Information as to commission of offences.
What this section does
No Magistrate, police officer, or revenue officer can be compelled to disclose when they received information about the commission of an offence. This privilege protects the sources and timing of law-enforcement intelligence. 'Revenue officer' is defined as any officer employed in or about the business of any branch of public revenue.
AI-generated plain-language summary. For the binding statutory text, see India Code (official).
The rule in one line
Magistrates, police officers, and revenue officers are privileged from disclosing when they received information about an offence.
When it applies
- A police officer cannot be compelled in court to state the date or source from which he learned that a robbery was being planned.
- A revenue officer cannot be forced to reveal when he received a tip-off about tax evasion.
Derived from IEA s.125.
Read the official text
For the binding statutory text of BSA Section 131, refer to the Gazette of India or the India Code official website.
Why this matters
BSA Section 131 forms part of Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam which replaced the Indian Evidence Act 1872 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.