CrPC 220 — Trial for more than one offence

Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973

Statutory text

(1) If, in one series of acts so connected together as to form
the same transaction, more offences than one are committed by the same person, he may be charged with, and tried at one trial for, every such offence.
(2) When  a  person  charged  with  one  or  more  offences  of  criminal  breach  of  trust  or  dishonest misappropriation of property as provided in sub-section (2) of section 212 or in sub-section (1) of section
219, is accused of committing, for the purpose of facilitating or concealing the commission of that offence
or those offences, one or more offences of falsification of accounts, he may be charged with, and tried at one trial for, every such offence.
(3) If the acts alleged constitute an offence falling within two or more separate definitions of any law
in force for the time being by which offences are defined or punished, the person accused of them may be charged with, and tried at one trial for, each of such offences.
(4) If several acts, of which one or more than one would by itself or themselves constitute an offence,
constitute when combined a different offence, the person accused of them may be charged with, and tried
at  one  trial  for  the  offence  constituted  by  such  acts  when  combined,  and  for  any  offence  constituted  by any one, or more, of such acts.
(5) Nothing contained in this section shall affect section 71 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
Illustrations to sub-section (1)
(a) A rescues B, a person in lawful custody, and in so doing causes grievous hurt to C, a constable in whose custody B
was. A may be charged with, and convicted of, offences under sections 225 and 333 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(b) A commits house-breaking by day  with intent to commit adultery, and commits, in the house so entered, adultery with B's wife. A may be separately charged with, and convicted of, offences under sections 454 and 497 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(c) A  entices  B,  the  wife  of  C,  away  from  C,  with  intent  to  commit  adultery  with  B,  and  then  commits  adultery  with her.  A  may  be  separately  charged  with,  and  convicted  of,  offences  under  sections  498  and  497  of  the  Indian  Penal  Code
(45 of 1860).
(d) A has in his possession several seals, knowing them to be counterfeit and intending to use them for the purpose of committing  several  forgeries  punishable  under  section  466  of  the  Indian  Penal  Code  (45  of  1860).  A  may  be  separately

charged with, and convicted of, the possession of each seal under section 473 of the Indian Penal Code.
(e) With  intent  to  cause  injury  to  B,  A  institutes  a  criminal  proceeding  against  him,  knowing  that  there  is  no  just  or
lawful ground for such proceeding, and also falsely accuses B of having committed an offence, knowing that there is no just or lawful ground for such charge. A may be separately charged with, and convicted of, two offences under section 211 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(f) A, with intent to cause injury to B, falsely accuses him of having committed an offence, knowing that there is no just or  lawful  ground  for  such  charge.  On  the  trial,  A  gives  false  evidence  against  B,  intending  thereby  to  cause  B  to  be convicted of a capital offence. A may be separately charged with, and convicted of, offences under sections 211 and 194 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(g) A,  with six others, commits the offences of rioting, grievous  hurt and assaulting a public servant endeavouring in the discharge of his duty as such to suppress the riot. A  may be separately charged with, and convicted of, offences under sections 147, 325 and 152 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
 (h) A threatens B, C and D at the same time with injury to their persons with intent to cause alarm to them. A may be
separately  charged  with,  and  convicted  of,  each  of  the  three  offences  under  section  506  of  the  Indian  Penal  Code
(45 of 1860).
The separate charges referred to in illustrations (a) to (h), respectively, may be tried at the same time.
Illustrations to sub-section (3)
(i) A  wrongfully  strikes  B  with  a  cane.  A  may  be  separately  charged  with, and  convicted of,  offences  under  sections
352 and 323 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(j) Several  stolen  sacks  of  corn  are  made  over  to  A  and  B,  who  knew  they  are  stolen  property,  for  the  purpose  of concealing them. A and B thereupon voluntarily assist each other to conceal the sacks at the bottom of a grain-pit. A and B
may  be  separately  charged  with,  and  convicted  of,  offences  under  sections  411  and  414  of  the  Indian  Penal  Code
(45 of 1860).
(k) A exposes her child with the knowledge that she is thereby likely to cause its death. The child dies in consequence of such exposure. A may be separately charged with, and convicted of, offences under sections 317 and 304 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(l) A  dishonestly  uses  a  forged  document  as  genuine  evidence,  in  order  to  convict  B,  a  public  servant,  of  an  offence under  section  167  of  the  Indian  Penal  Code  (45  of  1860).  A  may  be  separately  charged  with,  and  convicted  of,  offences under sections 471 (read with section 466) and 196 of that Code.
Illustration to sub-section (4)
(m) A commits robbery on B, and in doing so voluntarily causes  hurt to him. A  may be separately charged  with, and convicted of, offences under sections 323, 392 and 394 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).

Back to CrPC