CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, 1973
BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA, 2023
300. Person once convicted or acquitted not to be tried for same offence
337. Person once convicted or acquitted not to be tried for same offence
changed or removed in old law
changed or added in new law
Similar wording stays plain; only differences are highlighted.
CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, 1973
300. Person once convicted or acquitted not to be tried for same offence.—(1) A person who has once been
tried by a Court of competent jurisdiction for an offence and convicted or acquitted of such offence shall, while such
conviction or acquittal remains in force, not be liable to be tried again for the same offence, nor on the same facts for
any other offence for which a different charge from the one made against him might have been made under
sub-section (1) of section 221, or for which he might have been convicted under sub-section (2) thereof.
(2) A person acquitted or convicted of any offence may be afterwards tried, with the consent of the State
Government, for any distinct offence for which a separate charge might have been made against him at the former
trial under sub-section (1) of section 220.
(3) A person convicted of any offence constituted by any act causing consequences which, together with such
act, constituted a different offence from that of which he was convicted, may be afterwards tried for such last
mentioned offence, if the consequences had not happened, or were not known to the Court to have happened, at the
time when he was convicted.
(4) A person acquitted convicted of any offence constituted by any acts may, notwithstanding such acquittal or
conviction, be subsequently charged with, and tried for, any other offence constituted by the same acts which he
1. Ins. by Act 45 of 1978, s. 23 (w.e.f. 18-12-1978).
may have committed if the Court by which he was first tried was not competent to try the offence with which he is
subsequently charged.
(5) A person discharged under section 258 shall not be tried again for the same offence except with the consent
of the Court by which he was discharged or of any other Court to which the first-mentioned Court is subordinate.
(6) Nothing in this section shall affect the provisions of section 26 of the General Clauses
Act, 1897 (10 of 1897) or of section 188 of this Code.
Explanation.—The dismissal of a complaint, or the discharge of the accused, is not an acquittal for the purposes
of this section.
Illustrations
(a) A is tried upon a charge of theft as a servant and aquitted. He cannot afterwards, while the acquittal remains in
force, be charged with theft as a servant, or, upon the same facts, with theft simply, or with criminal breach of trust.
(b) A is tried for causing grievous hurt and convicted. The person injured afterwards dies. A may be tried again for
culpable homicide.
(c) A is charged before the Court of Session and convicted of the culpable homicide of B. A may not afterwards be
tried on the same facts for the murder of B.
(d) A is charged by a Magistrate of the first class with, and convicted by him of, voluntarily causing hurt to B. A may
not afterwards be tried for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to B on the same facts, unless the case comes within
sub-section (3) of this section.
(e) A is charged by a Magistrate of the second class with, and convicted by him of, theft of property from the person of
B. A may subsequently be charged with, and tried for, robbery on the same facts.
(f) A, B and C are charged by a Magistrate of the first class with, and convicted by him of, robbing D. A, B and C may
afterwards be charged with, and tried for, dacoity on the same facts.
Legacy / repealed by BNSS India Code — CrPC 1973
BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA, 2023
337. Person once convicted or acquitted not to be tried for same offence.—(1) A person who has
once been tried by a Court of competent jurisdiction for an offence and convicted or acquitted of such
offence shall, while such conviction or acquittal remains in force, not be liable to be tried again for the same
offence, nor on the same facts for any other offence for which a different charge from the one made against
him might have been made under sub-section (1) of section 244, or for which he might have been convicted
under sub-section (2) thereof.
(2) A person acquitted or convicted of any offence may be afterwards tried, with the consent of the
State Government, for any distinct offence for which a separate charge might have been made against him
at the former trial under sub-section (1) of section 243.
(3) A person convicted of any offence constituted by any act causing consequences which, together
with such act, constituted a different offence from that of which he was convicted, may be afterwards tried
for such last-mentioned offence, if the consequences had not happened, or were not known to the Court to
have happened, at the time when he was convicted.
(4) A person acquitted or convicted of any offence constituted by any acts may, notwithstanding such
acquittal or conviction, be subsequently charged with, and tried for, any other offence constituted by the
same acts which he may have committed if the Court by which he was first tried was not competent to try
the offence with which he is subsequently charged.
(5) A person discharged under section 281 shall not be tried again for the same offence except with the
consent of the Court by which he was discharged or of any other Court to which the first-mentioned Court
is subordinate.
(6) Nothing in this section shall affect the provisions of section 26 of the General Clauses Act, 1897
(10 of 1897) or of section 208 of this Sanhita.
Explanation.—The dismissal of a complaint, or the discharge of the accused, is not an acquittal for the
purposes of this section.
Illustrations.
(a) A is tried upon a charge of theft as a servant and acquitted. He cannot afterwards, while the acquittal
remains in force, be charged with theft as a servant, or, upon the same facts, with theft simply, or with
criminal breach of trust.
(b) A is tried for causing grievous hurt and convicted. The person injured afterwards dies. A may be
tried again for culpable homicide.
(c) A is charged before the Court of Session and convicted of the culpable homicide of B. A may not
afterwards be tried on the same facts for the murder of B.
(d) A is charged by a Magistrate of the first class with, and convicted by him of, voluntarily causing
hurt to B. A may not afterwards be tried for voluntarily causing grievous hurt to B on the same facts, unless
the case comes within sub-section (3) of this section.
(e) A is charged by a Magistrate of the second class with, and convicted by him of, theft of property
from the person of B. A may subsequently be charged with, and tried for, robbery on the same facts.
(f) A, B and C are charged by a Magistrate of the first class with, and convicted by him of, robbing D.
A, B and C may afterwards be charged with, and tried for, dacoity on the same facts.
Current law India Code — BNSS 2023