22 days left — Registration closes 2026-10-31.

CrPC · Chapter XII · Information to the police and their powers to investigate

CrPC section 160 in the BNSS

CrPC 160BNSS 179

CrPC section 160, “Police officer’s power to require attendance of witnesses”, is now BNSS section 179 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, in force from 1 July 2024.

What changed

From CrPC 160 to BNSS 179

Now BNSS section 179. Persons who need not attend anywhere other than where they live now include men over sixty (CrPC: sixty-five) and persons with acute illness, besides boys under fifteen, women and disabled persons. They may attend the police station if they wish.

The official text

Old and new, side by side

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Section 160 Police officer’s power to require attendance of witnesses

(1) Any police officer making an investigation under this Chapter may, by order in writing, require the attendance before himself of any person being within the limits of his own or any adjoining station who, from the information given or otherwise, appears to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case; and such person shall attend as so required:

Provided that no male person under the age of fifteen years or above the age of sixty-five years or a woman or a mentally or physically disabled person shall be required to attend at any place other than the place in which such male person or woman resides.

(2) The State Government may, by rules made in this behalf, provide for the payment by the police officer of the reasonable expenses of every person, attending under sub-section (1) at any place other than his residence.

Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023

Section 179 Police officer's power to require attendance of witnesses

(1) Any police officer making an investigation under this Chapter may, by order in writing, require the attendance before himself of any person being within the limits of his own or any adjoining station who, from the information given or otherwise, appears to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case; and such person shall attend as so required:

Provided that no male person under the age of fifteen years or above the age of sixty years or a woman or a mentally or physically disabled person or a person with acute illness shall be required to attend at any place other than the place in which such person resides:

Provided further that if such person is willing to attend at the police station, such person may be permitted so to do.

(2) The State Government may, by rules made in this behalf, provide for the payment by the police officer of the reasonable expenses of every person, attending under sub-section (1) at any place other than his residence.

The texts are India Code’s. The amendment markers and footnotes of the official print are left out, so the old section reads as it stood when it was repealed; State amendments are not shown. The PDFs linked below carry the full history.

Old law or new?

Which one applies to a case

The BNSS repealed the CrPC from 1 July 2024 (section 531(1)). Any appeal, application, trial, inquiry or investigation pending immediately before that date is disposed of under the CrPC as it then stood, as if the BNSS had not come into force (section 531(2)(a)). Anything not pending on that date follows the BNSS.

Sources

Prepare with CLATcoach, free

A free account gives you a full mock, a past paper for every exam, the daily questions, twelve Legal GK headings and a report on where you stand.

Create a free account