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BNSS, 2023
Start Practicing
BNSSChapter XXXVSection 478
Section478

In what cases bail to be taken

AI Assist

Summary

Anyone except a person accused of a non-bailable offence who is arrested without a warrant or brought before a court and is willing to give bail at any time must be released on bail. If the officer or court finds the person indigent and unable to furnish sureties, they shall discharge them on a bond for appearance instead; inability to give a bail bond within a week can be treated as proof of indigence. If the person later fails to comply with bond conditions about time or place of attendance, the court may refuse bail on a subsequent appearance while still enforcing any bond penalties.

Example

Ravi is arrested without a warrant for a bailable offence and tells the officer in charge he will give bail while in custody; the officer must release him on bail. Ravi cannot find a surety and cannot give a bail bond within a week, so the officer treats him as indigent and lets him go on a bond for appearance. If Ravi later misses a court date, the court may refuse bail on his next appearance.

Bare Act

Enacted text

(1) When any person other than a person accused of a non-bailable offence is arrested or detained without warrant by an officer in charge of a police station, or appears or is brought before a Court, and is prepared at any time while in the custody of such officer or at any stage of the proceeding before such Court to give bail, such person shall be released on bail:

Provided that such officer or Court, if he or it thinks fit, may, and shall, if such person is indigent and is unable to furnish surety, instead of taking bail bond from such person, discharge him on his executing a bond for his appearance as hereinafter provided.

Explanation.-Where a person is unable to give bail bond within a week of the date of his arrest, it shall be a sufficient ground for the officer or the Court to presume that he is an indigent person for the purposes of this proviso:

Provided further that nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect the provisions of sub-section (3) of section 135 or section 492.

(2) Notwithstanding anything in sub-section (1), where a person has failed to comply with the conditions of the bond or bail bond as regards the time and place of attendance, the Court may refuse to release him on bail, when on a subsequent occasion in the same case he appears before the Court or is brought in custody and any such refusal shall be without prejudice to the powers of the Court to call upon any person bound by such bond or bail bond to pay the penalty thereof under section 491.

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XXXV

Chapter XXXV

Provisions as to Bail And Bonds

In this chapter

  • 478In what cases bail to be taken
  • 479Maximum period for which undertrial prisoner can be detained
  • 480When bail may be taken in case of non-bailable offence
  • 481Bail to require accused to appear before next Appellate Court
  • 482Direction for grant of bail to person apprehending arrest
  • 483Special powers of High Court or Court of Session regarding bail
  • 484Amount of bond and reduction thereof
  • 485Bond of accused and sureties
  • 486Declaration by sureties
  • 487Discharge from custody
  • 488Power to order sufficient bail when that first taken is insufficient
  • 489Discharge of sureties
  • 490Deposit instead of recognizance
  • 491Procedure when bond has been forfeited
  • 492Cancellation of bond and bail bond
  • 493Procedure in case of insolvency or death of surety or when a bond is forfeited
  • 494Bond required from child
  • 495Appeal from orders under section 491
  • 496Power to direct levy of amount due on certain recognizances
Previous · Section 477State Government to act after concurrence with Central Government in certain casesNext · Section 479Maximum period for which undertrial prisoner can be detained