CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE, 1973
BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA, 2023
438. Direction for grant of bail to person apprehending arrest
482. Direction for grant of bail to person apprehending arrest
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
438. Direction for grant of bail to person apprehending arrest.—(1) When any person has reason to believe
that he may be arrested on an accusation of having committed a non-bailable offence, he may apply to the High
Court or the Court of Session for a direction under this section; and that Court may, if it thinks fit, direct that in the
event of such arrest, he shall be released on bail.
(2) When the High Court or the Court of Session makes a direction under sub-section (1), it may include such
conditions in such directions in the light of the facts of the particular case, as it may think fit, including—
(i) a condition that the person shall make himself available for interrogation by a police officer as and when
required;
(ii) a condition that the person shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or promise to
any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such facts to the Court or
to any police officer;
(iii) a condition that the person shall not leave India without the previous permission of the Court;
(iv) such other condition as may be imposed under sub-section (3) of section 437, as if the bail were
granted under that section.
(3) If such person is thereafter arrested without warrant by an officer in charge of a police station on such
accusation, and is prepared either at the time of arrest or at any time while in the custody of such officer to give bail,
he shall be released on bail; and if a Magistrate taking cognizance of such offence decides that a warrant should be
issued in the first instance against that person, he shall issue a bailable warrant in confirmity with the direction of the
Court under sub-section (1).
[(4) Nothing in this section shall apply to any case involving the arrest of any person on accusation of having
committed an offence under sub-section (3) of section 376 or section 376AB or section 376DA or section 376DB of
the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).]
STATE AMENDMENTS
West Bengal.—
To sub-section (1) of section 438 of the principal Act, the following proviso shall be added:—
“Provided that where the apprehended accusation relates to an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for
1. Ins. by Act 5 of 2009, s. 31 (w.e.f. 31-12-2009)
1. Ins. by Act 22 of 2018, s. 22 (w.e.f. 21-4-2018).
life or imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years, no final order shall be made on such application without
giving the State not less than seven days’ notice to present its case.
[Vide West Bengal Act 47 of 1981, s. 3.]
West Bengal.—
For sub-section (1) of section 438, of the principal Act the following sub-sections shall be substituted,
namely:—
“(1) (a) When any person has reason to believe that he may be arrested on an accusation of having committed a
non-bailable offence, he may apply to the High Court or the Court of Session for a direction under this section that
in the event of such arrest, he shall be released on bail:
Provided that the mere fact that a person has applied to the High Court or the Court of Session for a direction
under this section shall not, in the absence of any order by that Court, be a bar to the apprehension of such person, or
the detention of such person in custody, by an officer-in-charge of a police station.
(b) The High Court or the Court of Session, as the case may be, shall dispose of an application for a direction
under this sub-section within thirty days of the date of such application:
Provided that where the apprehended accusation relates to an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for
life or imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years, no final order shall be made on such application without
giving the State not less than seven days notice to present its case.
(c) If any person is arrested and detained in custody by an officer-in-charge of a police station before the
disposal of the application of such person for a direction under this sub-section, the release of such person on bail by
a Court having jurisdiction, pending such disposal, shall be subject to the provisions of section 437.
(1A) The provisions of sub-section (1) shall have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
elsewhere in this Act or in any judgment, decree or order of any Court, tribunal or other authority.”.
[Vide West Bengal Act 25 of 1990, s. 3.]
STATE AMENDMENT
Orissa
Amendment of section 438.—In section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), to
sub-section (1), the following proviso shall be added, namely:—
“Provided that where the apprehended accusation relates to an offence punishable with death,
imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term of not less than seven years, no final order shall be made
on such application without giving the State notice to present its case.”:
[Vide Orissa Act 11 of 1988, s. 2]
Legacy / repealed by BNSS India Code — CrPC 1973
BHARATIYA NAGARIK SURAKSHA SANHITA, 2023
482. Direction for grant of bail to person apprehending arrest.—(1) When any person has reason
to believe that he may be arrested on an accusation of having committed a non-bailable offence, he may
apply to the High Court or the Court of Session for a direction under this section; and that Court may, if it
thinks fit, direct that in the event of such arrest, he shall be released on bail.
(2) When the High Court or the Court of Session makes a direction under sub-section (1), it may include
such conditions in such directions in the light of the facts of the particular case, as it may think fit,
including—
(i) a condition that the person shall make himself available for interrogation by a police officer as
and when required;
(ii) a condition that the person shall not, directly or indirectly, make any inducement, threat or
promise to any person acquainted with the facts of the case so as to dissuade him from disclosing such
facts to the Court or to any police officer;
(iii) a condition that the person shall not leave India without the previous permission of the Court;
(iv) such other condition as may be imposed under sub-section (3) of section 480, as if the bail were
granted under that section.
(3) If such person is thereafter arrested without warrant by an officer in charge of a police station on
such accusation, and is prepared either at the time of arrest or at any time while in the custody of such
officer to give bail, he shall be released on bail; and if a Magistrate taking cognizance of such offence
decides that a warrant should be issued in the first instance against that person, he shall issue a bailable
warrant in conformity with the direction of the Court under sub-section (1).
(4) Nothing in this section shall apply to any case involving the arrest of any person on accusation of
having committed an offence under section 65 and sub-section (2) of section 70 of the Bharatiya Nyaya
Sanhita, 2023.
Current law India Code — BNSS 2023