Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 · Chapter V: Arrest of Persons
Section 57: Person arrested not to be detained more than twenty-four hours
The Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 was repealed and replaced by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 from 1 July 2024.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 matters and proceedings from before that date, as the repealing law provides.
In plain words
A person arrested without a warrant cannot be kept in police custody longer than reasonable, and never more than twenty-four hours (excluding travel time to the Magistrate's court) without a Magistrate's special order under section 167.
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 police officer shall detain in custody a person arrested without warrant for a longer period than under all the circumstances of the case is reasonable, and such period shall not, in the absence of a special order of a Magistrate under section 167, exceed twenty-four hours exclusive of the time necessary for the journey from the place of arrest to the Magistrate‘s Court.
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 57
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Mihir Rajesh Shah v. State of Maharashtra and Another
Whether in each and every case, even arising out of an offence under Penal Code, 1860 now Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 would it be necessary to furnish grounds of arrest to an accused either before arrest or forthwith…
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Vihaan Kumar v. State of Haryana & Anr.
The main issue canvassed by the appellant in this appeal is the violation of the appellant’s right under Article 22(1) of the Constitution of India as the appellant was not informed of the grounds for his arrest.
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Directorate of Enforcement v. Subhash Sharma
Whether the High Court was justified in holding that the respondent's arrest was illegal and thus, granting him bail for an offence under Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002.
- Pooja Agarwal v. State (Nct of Delhi)
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Prabir Purkayastha v. State (NCT of Delhi)
Whether the arrest and subsequent remand of the accused-appellant was vitiated as the copy of the remand application was not provided to him or his counsel before passing of the order of remand thus, not informing him…
- Amarjeet Gupta v. Election Commission of India & Ors
- Shri Arun Gupta & Anr v. Govt of NCT of Delhi & Ors
- Sakil Ahmad v. State of NCT of Delhi
- Central Bureau of Investigtation v. Kapil Wadhawan & Anr
- Acharya v. State of Maharashtra, (2001) 5 SCC 453 : 2001
- Mohammad Saber v. State of NCT of Delhi
- Enforcement Directorate, Government of India v. Kapil Wadhawan & Anr. Etc
- Satender Kumar Antil v. Central Bureau of Investigation & Anr.
- Gautam Navlakha v. National Investigation Agency
- Union of India v. Ashok Kumar Sharma and Others
- S. Kasi v. State Through the Inspector of Police Samaynallur Police Station Madurai District
- Dilawar v. The State of Haryana & Anr.
- Satyajit Ballulbhai Desai & Ors. v. State of Gujarat
- Lalita Kumari v. Government of U.P. & Others
- Central Bureau of Investigation v. Kishore Singh & Others
- Ramraj @ Nanhoo @ Bihnu v. State of Chhatiisgarh
- Hitendra Vishnu Thakur and Ors. v. State of Maharashtra and Ors.
- Central Bureau of Investigation, Special Investigation Cell-I, New Delhi v. Anupam J. Kulkarni
- Additional District Magistrate, Jabalpur v. S. S. Shukla Etc. Etc.