Charge sheet
Also called: Police report, Section 193 BNSS, Section 173 CrPC · Topic: Justice Delivery: Subordinate Courts, Tribunals, Legal Aid and Judicial Reforms · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A charge sheet is the final report the police file in court after they finish investigating a crime. It lists the accused, the offences and the evidence gathered. On the basis of this report, the court takes cognizance, which means it formally starts the case. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023, the victim must also be told how the investigation is going within 90 days. The charge sheet matters because it moves the case from the police stage to the court stage.
Example
After a murder is reported, the police collect witness statements and forensic reports and arrest the accused. When the investigation is done, they file a charge sheet before the magistrate. If no charge sheet is filed within 60 or 90 days, the accused gets a right to default bail.
Don't confuse with
- First Information Report (FIR): the FIR is the first record of a crime and it starts the investigation. The charge sheet comes at the end of the investigation.
Related concepts
- Criminal justice system
- Police
- Commissionerate system of policing
- Cognizable offence
- Non-cognizable offence
- First Information Report
- Zero FIR
- e-FIR
- Arnesh Kumar guidelines
- Police custody