CRPC §166A → BNSS §187
Letter of request to competent authority for investigation in a country or place outside India
Jump to section
Comparison
1[166A. Letter of request to competent authority for investigation in a country or place outside India.—
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in this Code, if, in the course of an investigation into an offence, an application is made by the investigating officer or any officer superior in rank to the investigating officer that evidence may be available in a country or place outside India, any Criminal Court may issue a letter of request to a Court or an authority in that country or place competent to deal with such request to examine orally any person supposed to be acquainted with the facts and circumstances of the case and to record his statement made in the course of such examination and also to require such person or any other person to produce any document or thing which may be in his possession pertaining to the case and to forward all the evidence so taken or collected or the authenticated copies thereof or the thing so collected to the Court issuing such letter.
(2) The letter of request shall be transmitted in such manner as the Central Government may specify in this behalf.
(3) Every statement recorded or document or thing received under sub-section
(1) shall be deemed to be the evidence collected during the course of investigation under this Chapter.
(2) The Magistrate to whom an accused person is forwarded under this section may, whether he has or has no jurisdiction to try the case, after taking into consideration whether such person has not been released on bail or his bail has been cancelled, authorise, from time to time, the detention of the accused in such custody as such Magistrate thinks fit, for a term not exceeding fifteen days in the whole, or in parts, at any time during the initial forty days or sixty days out of detention period of sixty days or ninety days, as the case may be, as provided in sub-section (3), and if he has no jurisdiction to try the case or commit it for trial, and considers further detention unnecessary, he may order the accused to be forwarded to a Magistrate having such jurisdiction.
(3) The Magistrate may authorise the detention of the accused person, beyond the period of fifteen days, if he is satisfied that adequate grounds exist for doing so, but no Magistrate shall authorise the detention of the accused person in custody under this sub-section for a total period exceeding,— (i) ninety days, where the investigation relates to an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term of ten years or more; (ii) sixty days, where the investigation relates to any other offence, and, on the expiry of the said period of ninety days, or sixty days, as the case may be, the accused person shall be released on bail if he is prepared to and does furnish bail, and every person released on bail under this sub-section shall be deemed to be so released under the provisions of Chapter XXXV for the purposes of that Chapter.
What changedAI-inferred
Letter of request to competent authority for investigation in foreign country.
Old position
CrPC 166A is concerned with Letter of request to competent authority for investigation in a country or place outside India. 1[166A
New position
BNSS 187 preserves the framework with drafting modernisations as required by the new code. Topic: Procedure when investigation cannot be completed in twenty-four hours. The Magistrate to whom an accused person is forwarded under this section may, whether he has or has no jurisdiction to try the case, after taking into consideration whether such person has not been released on bail or his bail has been
BNSS 187 (Procedure when investigation cannot be completed in twenty-four hours) preserves the framework of CrPC 166A. BNSS 187 retains the operative provisions in substantively the same form, with drafting modernisation and structural updates as required by the new code. BNSS 187 text: The...
Editorial deltaAI-indicated (source-linked)
BNSS 187 (Procedure when investigation cannot be completed in twenty-four hours) preserves the framework of CrPC 166A. BNSS 187 retains the operative provisions in substantively the same form, with drafting modernisation and structural updates as required by the new code.
BNSS 187 text: The Magistrate to whom an accused person is forwarded under this section may, whether he has or has no jurisdiction to try the case, after taking into consideration whether such person has not been released on bail or his bail has been cancelled, authorise, from time to time, the detention of the accused in such...
Transitional note (repeal & savings)
For matters initiated before 1 July 2024, CrPC 166A continues to apply. For matters from that date forward, BNSS 187 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 187 (Procedure when investigation cannot be completed in twenty-four hours). The relationship is classified as substantively_same — see the change-note above for the textual delta.
Sources
- India Code — Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
- Gazette of India — Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
Cite this page
Newlaws.in, CRPC §166A → BNSS §187 Mapping Page, last updated 2026-05-01, accessed 2026-06-12, https://newlaws.in/crpc/166A.
Compiled using AI-assisted tools · Source-linked · Last updated 2026-05-01
Not legal advice. Verify against the bare act and consult a qualified advocate for any specific matter.