Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 · Chapter IX: Of Witnesses
Section 131: Information as to commission of offences
In plain words
A Magistrate or police officer cannot be compelled to say when they received information about an offence, and a revenue officer cannot be compelled to say when they received information about an offence against public revenue.
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
No Magistrate or police officer shall be compelled to say when he got any information as to the commission of any offence, and no revenue officer shall be compelled to say when he got any information as to the commission of any offence against the public revenue.
Explanation.—"revenue officer" means any officer employed in or about the business of any branch of the public revenue.
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 25 August 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 131
No Supreme Court judgment in our database cites this section yet.