Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter VII: Processes to Compel the Production of Things · B.—Search-warrants
Section 97: Search of place suspected to contain stolen property, forged documents, etc
In plain words
If a District Magistrate, Sub-divisional Magistrate or first class Magistrate believes, after inquiry, that a place is used to store or sell stolen property or certain objectionable articles, they can issue a warrant to a police officer above the rank of constable to enter, search, seize the items and arrest people knowingly involved.
- Objectionable articles are counterfeit coins, currency notes and stamps, illegal metal pieces, forged documents, false seals, obscene objects, and the tools or materials for making them.
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
(1) If a District Magistrate, Sub-divisional Magistrate or Magistrate of the first class, upon information and after such inquiry as he thinks necessary, has reason to believe that any place is used for the deposit or sale of stolen property, or for the deposit, sale or production of any objectionable article to which this section applies, or that any such objectionable article is deposited in any place, he may by warrant authorise any police officer above the rank of a constable—-
(a) to enter, with such assistance as may be required, such place;
(b) to search the same in the manner specified in the warrant;
(c) to take possession of any property or article therein found which he reasonably suspects to be stolen property or objectionable article to which this section applies;
(d) to convey such property or article before a Magistrate, or to guard the same on the spot until the offender is taken before a Magistrate, or otherwise to dispose of it in some place of safety;
(e) to take into custody and carry before a Magistrate every person found in such place who appears to have been privy to the deposit, sale or production of any such property or article knowing or having reasonable cause to suspect it to be stolen property or, as the case may be, objectionable article to which this section applies.
(2) The objectionable articles to which this section applies are—-
(a) counterfeit coin;
(b) pieces of metal made in contravention of the Coinage Act, 2011 (11 of 2011), or brought into India in contravention of any notification for the time being in force issued under section 11 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962);
(c) counterfeit currency note; counterfeit stamps;
(d) forged documents;
(e) false seals;
(f) obscene objects referred to in section 294 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (45 of 2023);
(g) instruments or materials used for the production of any of the articles mentioned in clauses (a) to (f).
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 97
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.