Section 251 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) is the first step of the trial in a summons case: when the accused appears before the Magistrate, the particulars of the offence are stated to him and he is asked whether he pleads guilty or has a defence. No formal charge is framed. Since 1 July 2024 the same rule is Section 274 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS), with one addition: if the Magistrate considers the accusation groundless, he must release the accused, after recording reasons in writing, and the release has the effect of a discharge.
This step is what lawyers and courts mean by the “notice under Section 251”. It matters most in cheque-bounce cases under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881, which carry a maximum of two years’ imprisonment and are therefore summons cases. Below are the text in English and official Hindi, what happens at the hearing and after the plea, and why no charge is framed.
Section 251 CrPC / Section 274 BNSS at a glance
- New number: Section 274 BNSS (formerly Section 251 CrPC), “Substance of accusation to be stated”, in Chapter XXI, “Trial of summons-cases by Magistrates”.
- What happens: the particulars of the offence are stated to the accused and he is asked whether he pleads guilty or has any defence to make.
- Formal charge? No: “it shall not be necessary to frame a formal charge” (Section 274).
- New in the BNSS: if the accusation is groundless, the Magistrate must release the accused, recording reasons in writing; the release has the effect of discharge (proviso to Section 274; its reach in complaint cases is yet to be settled by the courts).
- Summons case: any case that is not a warrant case, that is, an offence punishable with imprisonment of two years or less, or with fine only (Section 2(1)(x) and (z) BNSS).
- Plea of guilty: recorded as nearly as possible in the accused’s words; the Magistrate may, in his discretion, convict (Section 275 BNSS, formerly Section 252 CrPC).
- Not guilty or a defence: the Magistrate hears the prosecution and the defence evidence and then acquits or convicts (Sections 277 and 278 BNSS, formerly Sections 254 and 255 CrPC).
- Cheque bounce: Section 138 NI Act cases are tried summarily under Section 143 using the summons-case procedure; the accused takes “notice under Section 251” at his first appearance (Supreme Court, 2014).
Reviewed and updated by Century Law Firm, Delhi – October 2026. Statutory references are to the Acts as in force on that date. The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 are quoted from their India Code texts (as on 6 October 2025, re-checked on India Code on 23 October 2026), Section 274 in Hindi from the official Hindi text of the BNSS on India Code, and the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 from its India Code text, with the Supreme Court’s judgments of 2014 and 2021 from the Court’s own website.
The text of Section 251 CrPC and Section 274 BNSS
Section 274 BNSS, headed “Substance of accusation to be stated”, reads:
“When in a summons-case the accused appears or is brought before the Magistrate, the particulars of the offence of which he is accused shall be stated to him, and he shall be asked whether he pleads guilty or has any defence to make, but it shall not be necessary to frame a formal charge:
Provided that if the Magistrate considers the accusation as groundless, he shall, after recording reasons in writing, release the accused and such release shall have the effect of discharge.”
The main paragraph is the rule of the old Section 251 CrPC; the proviso is new. The BNSS came into force on 1 July 2024 (notification S.O. 848(E) dated 23 February 2024, as noted on India Code). Under Section 531(2)(a) BNSS, a trial or inquiry pending immediately before that date “shall be disposed of, continued, held or made” under the 1973 Code “as if this Sanhita had not come into force”, so cases pending on 1 July 2024 still follow Section 251 CrPC. You can check any other old section with the firm’s CrPC to BNSS comparison tool.
What is a summons case?
The BNSS defines the two kinds of case by the punishment. Section 2(1)(z) says a “warrant-case” “means a case relating to an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term exceeding two years”, and Section 2(1)(x) says a “summons-case” “means a case relating to an offence, and not being a warrant-case” (formerly Section 2(x) and 2(w) CrPC, unchanged). So every offence punishable with imprisonment of up to two years, or with fine only, is a summons case.
Examples from the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (BNS): voluntarily causing hurt under Section 115(2) BNS (formerly Section 323 IPC), punishable with “imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees, or with both”, and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace under Section 352 BNS (formerly Section 504 IPC), up to two years. Outside the BNS, an everyday example is dishonour of a cheque under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, punishable with imprisonment “which may be extended to two years”, or a fine of up to twice the cheque amount, or both.
Under Section 227(1) BNSS (formerly Section 204 CrPC), in a summons case the Magistrate “shall issue summons to the accused for his attendance”; in a warrant case he may issue a warrant or a summons.
| Point | Summons case | Warrant case |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Any case that is not a warrant case (Section 2(1)(x) BNSS) | Offence punishable with death, life imprisonment or more than two years (Section 2(1)(z) BNSS) |
| Process | Summons (Section 227(1)(a)) | Warrant, or summons if the Magistrate thinks fit (Section 227(1)(b)) |
| First step of the trial | Particulars of the offence stated; plea asked; no formal charge (Section 274) | Charge framed in writing, read and explained, plea asked (Section 263, police report cases) |
| Release before evidence | Release with effect of discharge if the accusation is groundless (proviso to Section 274) | Discharge if the charge is groundless (Section 262); application within 60 days of supply of documents |
| Trial procedure | Sections 274 to 282 BNSS (Chapter XXI) | Sections 261 to 273 BNSS (Chapter XX) |
What happens at the notice under Section 251 (Section 274 BNSS)
The notice is given when the accused, having been summoned, appears or is brought before the Magistrate. The statute does not use the word “notice”; the Supreme Court did, in Indian Bank Association v. Union of India (21 April 2014), when it directed that the court should ask the accused “to take notice under Section 251Cr.P.C. to enable him to enter his plea of defence”. The Magistrate tells the accused what he is accused of, and the accused answers whether he pleads guilty or has a defence. That answer is his plea.
The accused should normally be present in person. Under Section 228(1) BNSS (formerly Section 205 CrPC), the Magistrate “may, if he sees reason so to do, dispense with the personal attendance of the accused and permit him to appear by his advocate”, but may at any stage direct personal attendance (Section 228(2)). For a petty offence, which Section 229(2) BNSS defines as “any offence punishable only with fine not exceeding five thousand rupees” (subject to exceptions), the special summons lets the accused plead guilty by letter, sent by post or messenger with the fine specified in the summons, or through an advocate authorised in writing (Sections 229 and 276 BNSS).
If the accused pleads guilty
Section 275 BNSS (formerly Section 252 CrPC): “If the accused pleads guilty, the Magistrate shall record the plea as nearly as possible in the words used by the accused and may, in his discretion, convict him thereon.” Conviction is not automatic; the words “may, in his discretion” leave the Magistrate free not to act on the plea, in which case the trial goes on under Section 277.
If the accused pleads not guilty or has a defence
Section 277(1) BNSS (formerly Section 254 CrPC): if the Magistrate does not convict on a plea of guilty, he “shall proceed to hear the prosecution and take all such evidence as may be produced in support of the prosecution, and also to hear the accused and take all such evidence as he produces in his defence.” He may summon witnesses on the application of either side (Section 277(2)) and may first require their expenses to be deposited (Section 277(3)). After the evidence, he “shall record an order of acquittal” if he finds the accused not guilty, or, if he finds him guilty, “pass sentence upon him according to law”, unless he proceeds under Section 364 (sending the case to the Chief Judicial Magistrate when he cannot pass a sufficiently severe sentence) or Section 401 (release on probation of good conduct or after admonition) (Section 278(1) and (2), formerly Section 255 CrPC).
Other ways a summons case can end
A summons case can also end before judgment. In a complaint case, if the complainant does not appear, the Magistrate shall, “after giving thirty days’ time to the complainant to be present”, acquit the accused unless he thinks it proper to adjourn (Section 279 BNSS, formerly Section 256 CrPC); a complaint may be withdrawn with permission before the final order, which ends in acquittal (Section 280); in a case “instituted otherwise than upon complaint” the Magistrate may stop the proceedings (Section 281, formerly Section 258 CrPC); and an offence punishable with more than six months may be re-heard as a warrant case “in the interests of justice” (Section 282).
Prepared by Century Law Firm from Sections 227, 228 and 274 to 278 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (India Code, as on 6 October 2025).
Is a charge framed under Section 251 CrPC?
No. The section itself says “it shall not be necessary to frame a formal charge”. The particulars are stated, not written into a charge. This is the main difference from warrant cases and Sessions trials:
- In a warrant case instituted on a police report, the Magistrate first satisfies himself that he has complied with Section 230 (supply of the police report and documents) (Section 261 BNSS, formerly Section 238 CrPC); the accused may apply for discharge within sixty days of receiving the documents (Section 262); and if the case goes ahead the Magistrate “shall frame in writing a charge against the accused within a period of sixty days from the date of first hearing on charge” (Section 263(1), formerly Section 240 CrPC). In other warrant cases the Magistrate likewise “shall frame in writing a charge against the accused” (Section 269(1), formerly Section 246 CrPC).
- In a Court of Session, the Judge frames a charge in writing under Section 251 BNSS (formerly Section 228 CrPC). That is a different Section 251, in the new law.
The earlier version of this page wrongly described Section 251 CrPC as a provision on framing charges in warrant cases, and quoted a different provision on warrant cases instituted on a police report (the subject now covered by Section 261 BNSS, formerly Section 238 CrPC).
Notice under Section 251 in a cheque-bounce case (Section 138 NI Act)
A cheque-bounce complaint is a summons case because the maximum punishment under Section 138 is two years. Section 143(1) of the NI Act goes further: notwithstanding the Code, all offences under that chapter “shall be tried by a Judicial Magistrate of the first class or by a Metropolitan Magistrate and the provisions of sections 262 to 265 (both inclusive) of the said Code shall, as far as may be, apply to such trials”. Those sections of the 1973 Code, on summary trials, correspond to Sections 285 to 288 BNSS, and Section 285(1) says that in summary trials “the procedure specified in this Sanhita for the trial of summons-case shall be followed”. So the notice and plea of Section 274 BNSS (Section 251 CrPC) is the starting point of a cheque case too. The firm’s guide to cheque-bounce cases under Section 138 explains the case as a whole.
Several rules of the NI Act turn on the plea:
- Interim compensation: under Section 143A(1)(a), the court may order the drawer to pay interim compensation “in a summary trial or a summons case, where he pleads not guilty to the accusation made in the complaint”. It “shall not exceed twenty per cent. of the amount of the cheque” (Section 143A(2)) and must be repaid with interest if the accused is acquitted (Section 143A(4)).
- Evidence on affidavit: the complainant may give evidence on affidavit, and the court shall, on the application of the prosecution or the accused, summon and examine the person who gave it (Section 145).
- Compounding: “every offence punishable under this Act shall be compoundable” (Section 147).
What the Supreme Court has directed
In Indian Bank Association v. Union of India (Writ Petition (Civil) No. 18 of 2013, judgment of 21 April 2014), the Supreme Court gave directions to all criminal courts trying Section 138 cases. Direction (4) reads: “Court should direct the accused, when he appears to furnish a bail bond, to ensure his appearance during trial and ask him to take notice under Section 251Cr.P.C. to enable him to enter his plea of defence and fix the case for defence evidence, unless an application is made by the accused under Section 145(2) for re-calling a witness for cross-examination.”
In In Re: Expeditious Trial of Cases under Section 138 of N.I. Act 1881 (Suo Motu Writ Petition (Crl.) No. 2 of 2020, order of 16 April 2021, five Judges), the Court asked the High Courts to issue practice directions requiring Magistrates “to record reasons before converting trial of complaints under Section 138 of the Act from summary trial to summons trial”; under the second proviso to Section 143(1), a case is converted from summary trial to summons trial when a sentence of more than one year may be needed or a summary trial is otherwise undesirable.
In a circular dated 3 December 2025, the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, acting, as the circular records, “in furtherance of” the Supreme Court’s judgment dated 25 September 2025 in Criminal Appeal No. 1755 of 2010, Sanjabij Tari v. Kishore S. Borcar, directed the courts in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh that the trial court “shall be at liberty (at the initial post cognizance stage) to ask questions, it deems appropriate, under Section 251 Cr.P.C. / Section 274 BNSS, 2023”, such as whether the cheque and signature are the accused’s, whether he owed the liability, what his defence is, and whether he wishes to compound, and to record the answers “in the order sheet in the presence of the accused and his/her counsel” before deciding whether the case is fit to be tried summarily. An official copy of the Supreme Court’s judgment could not be opened for this page, so whether and how the same practice applies in other States, including Delhi, is not stated here.
Can the Magistrate drop the case at the notice stage?
Under the BNSS, yes, if the accusation is groundless. The proviso to Section 274 says the Magistrate “shall, after recording reasons in writing, release the accused and such release shall have the effect of discharge”. Its words do not distinguish between cases started on a police report and cases started on a complaint. No judgment on how the proviso applies was opened for this page, so its exact reach in complaint cases, including cheque cases, is for the courts.
The 1973 Code had no such proviso, and the Supreme Court did not read such a power into it. In its order of 16 April 2021 it recorded that “The question whether a person can seek discharge in a summons case was considered by this Court in Subramanium Sethuraman v. State of Maharashtra”, reiterated that “there is no inherent power of Trial Courts to review or recall the issue of summons”, and held that “Section 258 of the Code is not applicable to complaints under Section 138 of the Act”, because Section 258 CrPC (now Section 281 BNSS) applies only to summons cases “instituted otherwise than upon complaint”. The order left untouched the trial court’s power under Section 322 of the Code (now Section 361 BNSS) “to revisit the order of issue of process in case it is brought to the court’s notice that it lacks jurisdiction to try the complaint”. For trials pending on 1 July 2024, which continue under the 1973 Code (Section 531(2)(a) BNSS), that older position is the starting point.
The BNSS also adds a safeguard before the summons stage: under the first proviso to Section 223(1), “no cognizance of an offence shall be taken by the Magistrate without giving the accused an opportunity of being heard” on a complaint. For cheque cases, however, the circular of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh mentioned above directs that “There shall be no requirement to issue summons to the accused in terms of Section 223 of BNSS i.e., at the pre-cognizance stage.” The firm’s note on review, revision and appeal explains the routes for challenging orders of criminal courts.
Other provisions numbered 251
Many searches for “Section 251” or “dhara 251” are about other laws. The common ones:
| Provision | What it is about |
|---|---|
| Section 251 CrPC | Substance of accusation in a summons case (this page); now Section 274 BNSS |
| Section 251 BNSS | Framing of charge by the Court of Session (formerly Section 228 CrPC) |
| Section 251 BNS | Offering a gift or restoring property in return for screening an offender (formerly Section 214 IPC) |
| Section 251 IPC | An offence relating to coins; in the BNS it is one of eleven IPC sections covered by Section 179 BNS |
| Article 251 of the Constitution | Where a State law conflicts with a law made by Parliament under Articles 249 or 250, the law made by Parliament prevails |
धारा 251 सीआरपीसी (अब धारा 274 बीएनएसएस) – हिंदी में (Section 251 CrPC in Hindi)
भारतीय नागरिक सुरक्षा संहिता, 2023 (2023 का अधिनियम संख्यांक 46) का राजपत्र में प्रकाशित आधिकारिक हिंदी पाठ, जो इंडिया कोड पर उपलब्ध है, अध्याय 21 “मजिस्ट्रेट द्वारा समन-मामलों का विचारण” में धारा 274 (“अभियोग का सारांश बताया जाना”) को इस प्रकार देता है:
“274. जब समन-मामले में अभियुक्त मजिस्ट्रेट के समक्ष उपस्थित होता है या लाया जाता है, तब उसे उस अपराध की विशिष्टियां बताई जाएंगी जिसका उस पर अभियोग है, और उससे पूछा जाएगा कि क्या वह दोषी होने का अभिवाक् करता है या प्रतिरक्षा करना चाहता है; किन्तु यथा रीति आरोप विरचित करना आवश्यक न होगा :
परंतु यदि मजिस्ट्रेट अभियोग को आधारहीन समझता है, तो वह ऐसे कारणों से जो लेखबद्ध किए जाएं, अभियुक्त को छोड़ देगा और ऐसे छोड़े जाने का प्रभाव उन्मोचन होगा ।”
नीचे का सारांश फर्म का अपना है; उद्धरण चिह्नों में दिए शब्द आधिकारिक हिंदी पाठ से हैं।
धारा 251 क्या है? दंड प्रक्रिया संहिता, 1973 की धारा 251 समन-मामले में विचारण का पहला कदम थी। 1 जुलाई 2024 से इसकी जगह भारतीय नागरिक सुरक्षा संहिता की धारा 274 है। जब अभियुक्त मजिस्ट्रेट के सामने आता है, तो उसे बताया जाता है कि उस पर किस अपराध का अभियोग है, और पूछा जाता है कि वह दोषी होने का अभिवाक् करता है या प्रतिरक्षा करना चाहता है। इसी को आम बोलचाल में धारा 251 का नोटिस कहा जाता है। इसमें औपचारिक आरोप विरचित नहीं किया जाता। नई संहिता में एक परंतुक जोड़ा गया है: अगर मजिस्ट्रेट अभियोग को आधारहीन समझता है, तो वह लिखित कारणों के साथ अभियुक्त को छोड़ देगा, और इसका प्रभाव उन्मोचन होगा। परिवाद पर चलने वाले मामलों (जैसे चेक बाउंस) में इस परंतुक का ठीक दायरा न्यायालय तय करेंगे।
समन-मामला क्या है? धारा 2(1)(z) के अनुसार वारंट-मामला वह है जो मृत्यु, आजीवन कारावास या दो वर्ष से अधिक के कारावास से दंडनीय अपराध से संबंधित है। जो मामला वारंट-मामला नहीं है, वह समन-मामला है (धारा 2(1)(x))। यानी दो वर्ष तक के कारावास या केवल जुर्माने वाले अपराध समन-मामले हैं, जैसे भारतीय न्याय संहिता की धारा 115(2) (जानबूझकर चोट पहुंचाना, एक वर्ष तक; पहले आईपीसी की धारा 323) और नेगोशिएबल इंस्ट्रूमेंट्स एक्ट, 1881 की धारा 138 (चेक बाउंस, दो वर्ष तक)। समन-मामले में मजिस्ट्रेट अभियुक्त को समन जारी करता है (धारा 227)।
दोषी होने का अभिवाक् करने पर: धारा 275 के अनुसार मजिस्ट्रेट अभियुक्त का अभिवाक् “यथासंभव उन्हीं शब्दों में लेखबद्ध करेगा जिनका अभियुक्त ने प्रयोग किया है” और “स्वविवेकानुसार” उसे दोषसिद्ध कर सकेगा। यह अपने आप नहीं होता; मजिस्ट्रेट चाहे तो विचारण आगे बढ़ा सकता है। छोटे मामलों में, जहां केवल पांच हजार रुपए तक का जुर्माना है, अभियुक्त डाक या संदेशवाहक से पत्र और जुर्माने की रकम भेजकर, या अधिकृत अधिवक्ता के माध्यम से, दोषी होने का अभिवाक् कर सकता है (धारा 229 और 276)।
दोषी न होने या प्रतिरक्षा करने पर: धारा 277 के अनुसार मजिस्ट्रेट अभियोजन को सुनेगा और उसका साक्ष्य लेगा, फिर अभियुक्त को सुनेगा और उसका साक्ष्य लेगा। इसके बाद धारा 278 के अनुसार अभियुक्त दोषी न पाया जाए तो दोषमुक्ति का आदेश होगा, और दोषी पाया जाए तो विधि के अनुसार दंडादेश होगा। परिवाद पर चले मामले में परिवादी अनुपस्थित रहे तो मजिस्ट्रेट उसे तीस दिन का समय देने के बाद अभियुक्त को दोषमुक्त करेगा, जब तक कि वह सुनवाई स्थगित करना उचित न समझे (धारा 279), और परिवादी अनुमति से परिवाद वापस ले सकता है (धारा 280)। छह मास से अधिक के कारावास वाले अपराध में मजिस्ट्रेट न्याय के हित में मामले को वारंट-मामले की प्रक्रिया से चला सकता है (धारा 282)।
क्या धारा 251 में आरोप तय होता है? नहीं। आरोप विरचित करना वारंट-मामलों (धारा 263) और सेशन न्यायालय (भारतीय नागरिक सुरक्षा संहिता की धारा 251) में होता है। ध्यान दें कि नई संहिता की धारा 251 एक अलग धारा है, जो सेशन न्यायालय में आरोप विरचित करने के बारे में है।
चेक बाउंस मामले में धारा 251 का नोटिस: धारा 138 का मामला समन-मामला है और धारा 143 के अनुसार संक्षिप्त विचारण से चलता है, जिसमें समन-मामले की प्रक्रिया लागू होती है। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने 21 अप्रैल 2014 के निर्णय (इंडियन बैंक एसोसिएशन बनाम भारत संघ) में निर्देश दिया कि अभियुक्त के उपस्थित होने पर उसे धारा 251 का नोटिस दिया जाए ताकि वह अपना प्रतिरक्षा का अभिवाक् कर सके। अगर अभियुक्त दोषी न होने का अभिवाक् करता है, तो न्यायालय धारा 143क के अधीन चेक की रकम के बीस प्रतिशत तक अंतरिम प्रतिकर दिलवा सकता है। धारा 147 के अनुसार यह अपराध शमनीय है।
पुराने मामले: धारा 531(2)(क) के अनुसार 1 जुलाई 2024 को लंबित विचारण पुरानी दंड प्रक्रिया संहिता के अनुसार ही चलते हैं, इसलिए ऐसे मामलों में धारा 251 सीआरपीसी लागू रहती है, जिसमें आधारहीन अभियोग पर छोड़ने वाला नया परंतुक नहीं है।
Frequently asked questions
Section 251 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, “Substance of accusation to be stated”, lays down the first step of a trial in a summons case: when the accused appears or is brought before the Magistrate, the particulars of the offence are stated to him and he is asked whether he pleads guilty or has any defence to make. A formal charge is not necessary. Since 1 July 2024 it is Section 274 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Section 274 BNSS. The main paragraph is the same as Section 251 CrPC. A proviso has been added: “if the Magistrate considers the accusation as groundless, he shall, after recording reasons in writing, release the accused and such release shall have the effect of discharge.” Section 251 BNSS is a different provision, on framing of charge by a Court of Session (formerly Section 228 CrPC).
It is the step at which the Magistrate tells the accused in a summons case what offence he is accused of and asks for his plea. The statute speaks of the particulars being “stated”; the Supreme Court, in Indian Bank Association v. Union of India (21 April 2014), directed courts trying cheque cases to ask the accused “to take notice under Section 251Cr.P.C. to enable him to enter his plea of defence”. Under the BNSS the same step is Section 274.
No. Section 251 CrPC (now Section 274 BNSS) says “it shall not be necessary to frame a formal charge”. Charges are framed in writing in warrant cases (Section 263 BNSS, formerly Section 240 CrPC, for cases on a police report; Section 269 BNSS, formerly Section 246 CrPC, for other warrant cases) and in Sessions cases (Section 251 BNSS, formerly Section 228 CrPC).
Under Section 275 BNSS (formerly Section 252 CrPC), the Magistrate “shall record the plea as nearly as possible in the words used by the accused and may, in his discretion, convict him thereon.” Conviction is discretionary, not automatic.
The Magistrate hears the prosecution and takes its evidence, then hears the accused and takes his defence evidence (Section 277 BNSS, formerly Section 254 CrPC). He then records an order of acquittal if he finds the accused not guilty, or passes sentence according to law if he finds him guilty (Section 278 BNSS, formerly Section 255 CrPC).
A warrant case relates to an offence punishable with death, imprisonment for life or imprisonment for more than two years (Section 2(1)(z) BNSS); every other case is a summons case (Section 2(1)(x)). A summons case starts with the particulars and the plea, without a formal charge (Section 274); in a warrant case on a police report, a written charge is framed (Section 263).
Yes. Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 is punishable with imprisonment of up to two years, or a fine of up to twice the cheque amount, or both, so it is not a warrant case. Section 143 directs a summary trial under sections 262 to 265 of the 1973 Code (which correspond to Sections 285 to 288 BNSS), which follow the summons-case procedure.
Under Section 274 BNSS, yes, if the Magistrate considers the accusation groundless: he must release the accused after recording reasons in writing, and the release has the effect of discharge. Section 251 CrPC had no such proviso, and in its order of 16 April 2021 the Supreme Court reiterated that trial courts have no inherent power to review or recall the issue of summons. Trials pending on 1 July 2024 continue under the 1973 Code (Section 531(2)(a) BNSS). No judgment on how the new proviso applies to complaint cases, including cheque cases, was opened for this page, so its exact reach there is for the courts.
In the official Hindi text of the BNSS, the provision (now धारा 274) is headed “अभियोग का सारांश बताया जाना”: when the accused (अभियुक्त) appears in a summons case (समन-मामला), the particulars of the offence are told to him and he is asked whether he pleads guilty (दोषी होने का अभिवाक्) or wants to make a defence (प्रतिरक्षा); a formal charge (आरोप) need not be framed. The full Hindi text is quoted above.
Normally yes, since the particulars are stated to the accused and he is asked for his plea. But under Section 228 BNSS (formerly Section 205 CrPC), a Magistrate who issues a summons may, “if he sees reason so to do”, dispense with the accused’s personal attendance and let him appear by his advocate, while keeping the power to direct personal attendance at any stage.
Section 531(2)(a) BNSS says that any trial or inquiry pending immediately before the BNSS came into force shall be continued under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 “as if this Sanhita had not come into force”. In such a pending trial the notice is under Section 251 CrPC, which does not contain the new proviso on release when the accusation is groundless.
Conclusion
Section 251 CrPC, now Section 274 BNSS, governs the start of every summons-case trial, including every cheque-bounce complaint: the trial begins with the Magistrate stating the particulars of the accusation and asking for a plea, without a formal charge. A plea of guilty may lead to conviction under Section 275; a plea of not guilty leads to evidence and judgment under Sections 277 and 278.
The BNSS adds a safeguard: a groundless accusation must now end in release, with reasons in writing, that works as a discharge, though its reach in complaint cases is for the courts to settle. Cases pending on 1 July 2024 remain under Section 251 CrPC, where the Supreme Court has reiterated that trial courts have no inherent power to review or recall the issue of summons.
Sources used for this post: the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 46 of 2023), Sections 1(3) (commencement footnote), 2(1)(x) and (z), 223, 227, 228, 229, 230, 251, 261 to 263, 269, 274 to 282, 285 to 288, 361, 364, 401 and 531, from its English text on India Code (A2023-46.pdf, as on 6 October 2025; re-checked on India Code on 23 October 2026, no later version or amendment found), and Section 274 from its official Hindi text on India Code (202346.pdf, Gazette of India Extraordinary, page 277, read from the page image); the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, Sections 115(2) and 352, from its India Code text (as on 6 October 2025); the Negotiable Instruments Act, 1881 (Act No. 26 of 1881), Sections 138, 143, 143A, 145 and 147, from its India Code text (a1881-26.pdf, no “as on” date printed); the Constitution of India, Article 251 (India Code); the firm’s section-by-section CrPC–BNSS and IPC–BNS comparison data checked against the Gazette text; Indian Bank Association v. Union of India, Writ Petition (Civil) No. 18 of 2013, judgment of 21 April 2014, https://api.sci.gov.in/jonew/judis/41436.pdf; In Re: Expeditious Trial of Cases under Section 138 of N.I. Act 1881, Suo Motu Writ Petition (Crl.) No. 2 of 2020, order of 16 April 2021, https://api.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2020/9631/9631_2020_31_501_27616_Judgement_16-Apr-2021.pdf; and the circular of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh dated 3 December 2025, https://jkhighcourt.nic.in/upload/orders&cir/cir_20_03122025.pdf (all read on 23 October 2026).