CRPCSection 260-265Verified
Summary Trials — Power; Procedure; Record; Maximum 3 Months Sentence
Ultra-simplified trial for very minor offences — max 3 months; summary record; single-hearing disposal
Legal Commentary
Section 260: Specified Magistrates may try in summary way: offences not punishable above 2 years; theft where property value does not exceed ₹2,000; certain trespass offences. Section 262: No sentence of imprisonment for a term exceeding three months shall be passed in summary trials.
Explanation
Sections 260-265 provide the most streamlined criminal procedure — summary trials for minor offences. Follows summons case procedure but even simpler — Magistrate keeps brief record, proceedings completed quickly, maximum 3 months imprisonment. The ₹2,000 theft threshold for summary trial was set in 1973 — BNSS increases this to ₹20,000 (reflecting inflation). Summary trials handle the bulk of petty crime: minor thefts, small frauds, traffic violations, public nuisance cases.
Related Topics
CrPC Section 260CrPC Section 262summary trial Indiasummary trial procedure CrPCtheft summary trial IndiaSection 260 summary trialsummary trial 3 months IndiaBNSS Section 283 summary trial₹20000 theft BNSS summary
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Historical Context
Original Act
Code of Criminal Procedure
Category
CrPC