BNSS §20

Prosecution. Sec.1] CHAPTER III POWER OF COURTS

Substantively sameConfidence: mediumStatus: cross checkedscope drift(precautionary)
Last updated 2026-05-01 · Input coverage: full

Compiled by AI-assisted tools. Verify current status against official sources. Last updated: 2026-04-28.

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Old law
CRPC §25A
Directorate of Prosecution

1[25A. Directorate of Prosecution.—(1) The State Government may establish a Directorate of Prosecution consisting of a Director of Prosecution and as many Deputy Directors of Prosecution as it thinks fit.

(2) A person shall be eligible to be appointed as a Director of Prosecution or a Deputy Director of Prosecution, only if he has been in practice as an advocate for not less than ten years and such appointment shall be made with the concurrence of the Chief Justice of the High Court.

(3) The Head of the Directorate of Prosecution shall be the Director of Prosecution, who shall function under the administrative control of the Head of the Home Department in the State.

(4) Every Deputy Director of Prosecution shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution.

(5) Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under sub-section (1), or as the case may be, sub-section (8), of section 24 to conduct cases in the High Court shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution.

(6) Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under sub-section (3), or as the case may be, sub-section (8), of section 24 to conduct cases in District Courts and every Assistant Public Prosecutor appointed under sub-section

(1) of section 25 shall be subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prosecution.

(7) The powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution and the Deputy Directors of Prosecution and the areas for which each of the Deputy Directors of Prosecution have been appointed shall be such as the State Government may, by notification, specify.

(8) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the Advocate General for the State while performing the functions of a Public Prosecutor.] STATE AMENDMENT Karnataka In section 25A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Central Act No. 2 of 1974), — (a) for sub-section (2), the following shall be substituted, namely:—“(2) The post of Director of prosecution and Government litigations, or a Deputy Director of Prosecution and other cadres shall be filled in accordance with the Cadre and Recruitment Rules framed under the Karnataka State Civil Services Act, 1978 (Karnataka Act 14 of 1990).” (b) for sub-section (5), the following shall be substituted, namely:—“(5) Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government from the cadre of Prosecutors recruited under the recruitment rules framed by the Government under the Karnataka State Civil Services Act, 1978 1. Ins. by Act 25 of 2005, s. 4 (w.e.f. 23-6-2006). shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution and Government litigations and every Public Prosecutor, Additional Prosecutor and Special Prosecutor appointed under sub-section

(8) of section 24 shall be subordinate to the Advocate General.” (c) in sub-section (6), for the words “Deputy Director of Prosecution, the words “Director of Prosecution” shall be substituted. [Vide Karnataka Act 39 of 2012, s. 2] Madhya Pradesh Substitution of Section 25A.—For section 25A of the principal Act, the following section shall be substituted, namely: — “25A. Directorate of Prosecution.—(1) The State Government may establish a Directorate of Prosecution consisting of a Director of Prosecution and as many Additional Directors of Prosecution, Joint Directors of Prosecution, Deputy Directors of Prosecution and Assistant Directors of Prosecution and such other posts as it thinks fit.

(2) The post of Director of Prosecution, Additional Directors of Prosecution, Joint Directors of Prosecution, Deputy Directors of Prosecution and Assistant Directors of Prosecution and other post shall be filled in accordance with the Madhya Pradesh Public Prosecution (Gazetted) Service Recruitment Rules, 1991, as amended from time to time.

(3) The head of the Directorate of Prosecution shall be the Director of Prosecution, who shall function under the administrative control of the head of the Home Department in the State.

(4) Every Additional Director of Prosecution, Joint Director of Prosecution, Deputy Director of Prosecution and Assistant Director of Prosecution and other posts specified in sub-section

(2) shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution.

(5) Every Public Prosecutor and Additional Public Prosecutor appointed under the Madhya Pradesh Public Prosecution (Gazetted) Service Recruitment Rules, 1991, shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution and every Public Prosecutor and Additional Public Prosecutor appointed under sub-section

(1) of Section 24 and every Special Public Prosecutor appointed under sub-section

(8) of Section 24 to conduct cases in the High Court shall be subordinate to the Advocate General.

(6) Every Public Prosecutor and Additional Public Prosecutor appointed under sub-section

(3) of Section 24 and every Special Public Prosecutor appointed under sub-section

(8) of Section 24 to conduct cases in District Courts shall be subordinate to the District Magistrate.

(7) The powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution shall be such as the State Government may, by notification, specify.”. [Vide Madhya Pradesh Act 18 of 2014, s. 3.] STATE AMENDMENT Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh (UTs).— Section 25A.-(i) for sub-sections

(1) and (2), substitute–

(1) The Government of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall establish a Directorate of Prosecution consisting of a Director General of Prosecution and such other officers, as may be provided in rules to be framed by the said Government; and

(2) The Post of Director General of Prosecution and all other officers, constituting the prosecution cadre, shall be filled in accordance with the rules to be framed by the said Government. (ii) in sub-section (3), substitute “Director of Prosecution” with “Director General of (iii) for sub-section (4), substitute “(4) subject to the control of the Director General of Prosecution, the Deputy Director shall be subordinate to and under the Control of a Joint Director.” (iv) substitute sub-section (5),– “Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the Government of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under subsection (1), or the case may be under sub-section

(8) of section 24 to conduct cases in the High Court shall be subordinate to the Advocate General.”; (v) for sub-section (7), substitute– “(7) The powers and functions of the Director General of Prosecution and other officers of the prosecution cadre shall be such as may be provided by the rules”. [vide the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Adaptation of Central Laws) Order, 2020, vide notification No. S.O. 1123(E) dated (18-3-2020).] CHAPTER III POWER OF COURTS

New law
BNSS §20
Prosecution. Sec.1] CHAPTER III POWER OF COURTS

20.

(1) The State Government may establish,— (a) a Directorate of Prosecution in the State consisting of a Director of Prosecution and as many Deputy Directors of Prosecution as it thinks fit; and (b) a District Directorate of Prosecution in every district consisting of as many Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors of Prosecution, as it thinks fit.

(2) A person shall be eligible to be appointed,— (a) as a Director of Prosecution or a Deputy Director of Prosecution, if he has been in practice as an advocate for not less than fifteen years or is or has been a Sessions Judge; (b) as an Assistant Director of Prosecution, if he has been in practice as an advocate for not less than seven years or has been a Magistrate of the first class.

(3) The Directorate of Prosecution shall be headed by the Director of Prosecution, who shall function under the administrative control of the Home Department in the State.

(4) Every Deputy Director of Prosecution or Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution; and every Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prosecution.

(5) Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under sub-section

(1) or sub-section

(8) of section 18 to conduct cases in the High Court shall be subordinate to the Director of Prosecution.

(6) Every Public Prosecutor, Additional Public Prosecutor and Special Public Prosecutor appointed by the State Government under sub-section

(3) or sub-section

(8) of section 18 to conduct cases in District Courts and every Assistant Public Prosecutor appointed under sub-section

(1) of section 19 shall be subordinate to the Deputy Director of Prosecution or the Assistant Director of Prosecution.

(7) The powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution shall be to monitor cases in which offences are punishable for ten years or more, or with life imprisonment, or with death; to expedite the proceedings and to give opinion on filing of appeals.

(8) The powers and functions of the Deputy Director of Prosecution shall be to examine and scrutinise police report and monitor the cases in which offences are punishable for seven years or more, but less than ten years, for ensuring their expeditious disposal.

(9) The functions of the Assistant Director of Prosecution shall be to monitor cases in which offences are punishable for less than seven years.

(10) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (7),

(8) and (9), the Director, Deputy Director or Assistant Director of Prosecution shall have the power to deal with and be responsible for all proceedings under this Sanhita.

(11) The other powers and functions of the Director of Prosecution, Deputy Directors of Prosecution and Assistant Directors of Prosecution and the areas for which each of the Deputy Directors of Prosecution or Assistant Directors of Prosecution have been appointed shall be such as the State Government may, by notification, specify.

(12) The provisions of this section shall not apply to the Advocate General for the State while performing the functions of a Public Prosecutor. CHAPTER III POWER OF COURTS

What changedAI-inferred

Directorate of Prosecution.

Old position

CrPC 25A is concerned with Directorate of Prosecution. 1[25A

New position

BNSS 20 preserves the framework with drafting modernisations as required by the new code. Topic: Prosecution. Sec.1] CHAPTER III POWER OF COURTS. The State Government may establish,

BNSS 20 (Prosecution. Sec.1] CHAPTER III POWER OF COURTS) preserves the framework of CrPC 25A. BNSS 20 retains the operative provisions in substantively the same form, with drafting modernisation and structural updates as required by the new code. BNSS 20 text: The State Government may...

Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)

BNSS 20 (Prosecution. Sec.1] CHAPTER III POWER OF COURTS) preserves the framework of CrPC 25A. BNSS 20 retains the operative provisions in substantively the same form, with drafting modernisation and structural updates as required by the new code.

BNSS 20 text: The State Government may establish,— (a) a Directorate of Prosecution in the State consisting of a Director of Prosecution and as many Deputy Directors of Prosecution as it thinks fit; and (b) a District Directorate of Prosecution in every district consisting of as many Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors of...

Transitional note (repeal & savings)

For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, CrPC 25A continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNSS 20 applies. The transition is governed by the repeal-and-savings clause in the new code (BNS 358 / BNSS 531 / BSA 170 as the case may be); pending proceedings under the old code carry forward unaffected.

Frequently asked

BNSS 20 (Prosecution. Sec.1] CHAPTER III POWER OF COURTS). The relationship is classified as substantively_same — see the change-note above for the textual delta.

Sources

Cite this page

Newlaws.in, CRPC §25A → BNSS §20 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-06-12, https://newlaws.in/bnss/20.

Compiled using AI-assisted tools · Source-linked · Last updated 2026-05-01

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