Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 · Chapter XXIV: General Provisions As to Inquiries and Trials
Section 301: Appearance by Public Prosecutors
The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024. It still applies to offences and proceedings from before that date.
(1) The Public Prosecutor or Assistant Public Prosecutor in charge of a case may appear and plead without any written authority before any Court in which that case is under inquiry, trial or appeal.
(2) If in any such case any private person instructs a pleader to prosecute any person in any Court, the Public Prosecutor or Assistant Public Prosecutor in charge of the case shall conduct the prosecution, and the pleader so instructed shall act therein under the directions of the Public Prosecutor or Assistant Public Prosecutor, and may, with the permission of the Court, submit written arguments after the evidence is closed in the case.
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 (Legislative Department), the text of the Act as it stood before its repeal. 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 301
- Shakeel Ahmed v. Union of India & Ors.
- Varsha Garg v. The State of Madhya Pradesh & Ors.
- Rekha Murarka v. The State of West Bengal and Anr.
- Amir Hamza Shaikh & Ors. v. State of Maharashtra & Anr.
- Mallikarjun Kodagali (Dead) Represented Through Legal Representatives v. The State of Karnataka & Ors.
- Ajay Kumar Ghoshal Etc. v. State of Blhar & Anr.
- Dhariwal Industries Ltd. v. Kishore Wadhwani & Ors.
- Anant Prakash Sinha @ Anant Sinha v. State of Haryana & Anr.
- K. Anbazhagan v. State of Karnatakaand Others