Report of Police Officer on Completion of Investigation — Chargesheet

Explanation

Section 173 governs the chargesheet — the investigative product that converts a criminal complaint into a formal prosecution. When investigation is complete, police submit either: (1) a chargesheet (also called 'police report') — asserting that an offence has been committed and the accused is guilty, and requesting prosecution; or (2) a final report/closure report — concluding that no offence occurred, the accused is innocent, or the case is untraceable. The chargesheet must contain: names of parties, nature of the information, names of witnesses, the offence apparently committed, and details of the accused's custody status. All documents and evidence must be forwarded with or shortly after the chargesheet. The Magistrate takes cognizance based on the chargesheet — meaning the formal judicial phase of the prosecution begins. If a closure report is filed, the Magistrate must hear the informant/complainant before accepting it — the Magistrate can reject the closure report and take cognizance independently. The victim's right to be heard before a closure report is accepted is a crucial protection — otherwise police could close cases collusively without any judicial oversight. BNSS Section 193's 90-day timeline is the most significant change — creating an enforceable deadline that the default bail provision (Section 167/BNSS 187) already partially enforces.