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Wednesday, 11 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XXIII: Plea Bargaining

Section 291 BNSS: Guidelines for mutually satisfactory disposition

Corresponding CrPC
Section 265C CrPC

Bare Act text

In working out a mutually satisfactory disposition under clause (a) of sub-section (4) of section 290, the Court shall follow the following procedure, namely:—

(a) in a case instituted on a police report, the Court shall issue notice to the Public Prosecutor, the police officer who has investigated the case, the accused and the victim of the case to participate in the meeting to work out a satisfactory disposition of the case:

Provided that throughout such process of working out a satisfactory disposition of the case, it shall be the duty of the Court to ensure that the entire process is completed voluntarily by the parties participating in the meeting:

Provided further that the accused, if he so desires, may participate in such meeting with his advocate, if any, engaged in the case;

(b) in a case instituted otherwise than on police report, the Court shall issue notice to the accused and the victim of the case to participate in a meeting to work out a satisfactory disposition of the case:

Provided that it shall be the duty of the Court to ensure, throughout such process of working out a satisfactory disposition of the case, that it is completed voluntarily by the parties participating in the meeting:

Provided further that if the victim of the case or the accused so desires, he may participate in such meeting with his advocate engaged in the case.

Text as enacted in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 46 of 2023), in force from 1 July 2024. Source: India Code, Government of India.

In simple words

The section lays down the procedure for working out a mutually satisfactory disposition. In a police-report case the Court issues notice to the Public Prosecutor, the investigating officer, the accused and the victim to attend a meeting. A different procedure is provided for complaint cases.

Chapter XXIII: Plea Bargaining

  1. 289 Application of Chapter
  2. 290 Application for plea bargaining
  3. 291 Guidelines for mutually satisfactory disposition
  4. 292 Report of mutually satisfactory disposition to be submitted before Court
  5. 293 Disposal of case
  6. 294 Judgment of Court
  7. 295 Finality of judgment
  8. 296 Power of Court in plea bargaining
  9. 297 Period of detention undergone by accused to be set off against sentence of imprisonment
  10. 298 Savings
  11. 299 Statements of accused not to be used
  12. 300 Non-application of Chapter