CaseMinister
CaseMinister › Sections › CrPC › Section 216

CrPC Section 216 in BNSS: Section 239

Court may alter charge

Section 216 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Court may alter charge) corresponds to Section 239 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024.

Text of BNSS Section 239

239. (1) Any Court may alter or add to any charge at any time before judgment is pronounced.

(2) Every such alteration or addition shall be read and explained to the accused.

(3) If the alteration or addition to a charge is such that proceeding immediately with the trial is not likely, in the opinion of the Court, to prejudice the accused in his

defence or the prosecutor in the conduct of the case, the Court may, in its discretion, after such alteration or addition has been made, proceed with the trial as if the altered or added charge had been the original charge.

(4) If the alteration or addition is such that proceeding immediately with the trial is likely, in the opinion of the Court, to prejudice the accused or the prosecutor as aforesaid, the Court may either direct a new trial or adjourn the trial for such period as may be necessary.

(5) If the offence stated in the altered or added charge is one for the prosecution of which previous sanction is necessary, the case shall not be proceeded with until such sanction is obtained, unless sanction has been already obtained for a prosecution on the same facts as those on which the altered or added charge is founded.

Recall of witnesses when charge altered.

Full BNSS Section 239 and every CrPC section it replaced →

Ask CaseMinister about CrPC 216 / BNSS 239

Get the judgments that apply this section, with the paragraph relied on in each and what later Benches said about it. Two answers free on WhatsApp, no signup.

← CrPC 215CrPC 217 →