Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XXXIII: Transfer of Criminal Cases
Section 451: Making over or withdrawal of cases by Executive Magistrates
In plain words
A District Magistrate or Sub-divisional Magistrate can make over any proceeding before them to a subordinate Magistrate, and withdraw or recall cases from subordinate Magistrates to decide personally or send to another Magistrate.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
Any District Magistrate or Sub-divisional Magistrate may—-
(a) make over, for disposal, any proceeding which has been started before him, to any Magistrate subordinate to him;
(b) withdraw any case from, or recall any case which he has made over to, any Magistrate subordinate to him, and dispose of such proceeding himself or refer it for disposal to any other Magistrate.
Corresponding sections were matched by comparing the wording of both official texts, and for the IPC and BNS, also against a published correspondence table. Wording, punishments and structure often changed, so read both sections before relying on the match.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 12 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 451
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.