Section 167
Section 167 Cr. P.C. 1973 after some changes reads as under:
“167. Procedure when investigation cannot be completed in twenty-four hours.-
(1) Whenever any person is arrested and detained in custody, and it appears that the investigation cannot be completed within the period of twenty-four hours fixed by Section 57, and there are grounds for believing that the accusation or information is well founded,
the officer-in- charge of the police station or the police officer making the investigation, he if is not below the rank of sub-inspector, shall forthwith transmit to the nearest Judicial Magistrate a copy of the entries in the diary hereinafter prescribed relating to the case, and shall at the same time forward the accused to such Magistrate.
(2) The Magistrate to whom an accused person is forwarded under this section may, whether he has or has no jurisdiction to try the case, from time to time, authorise the detention of the accused in such custody as such Magistrate thinks fit, for a term not exceeding fifteen days in the whole;
and if he has no jurisdiction to try the case or commit it for trial, and considers further detention unnecessary, he may order the accused to be forwarded to a Magistrate having such jurisdiction:
Provided that-
(a) the Magistrate may authorise the detention of the accused person, otherwise than in the custody of the police, beyond the period of fifteen days if he is satisfied that adequate grounds exist for doing so, but no Magistrate shall authorise the detention of the accused person in custody under this paragraph for a total period exceeding,-
(i) ninety days, where the investigation relates to an office punishable with death, imprisonment for life or imprisonment for a term of not less than ten years;
(ii) sixty days, where the investigation relates to any other office, and, on the expiry of the said period of ninety days, or sixty days, as the case may be, the accused person shall be released on bail if he is prepared to and does furnish bail, and every person released on bail under this sub-section shall be deemed to be so released under the provisions of Chapter XXXIII for the purposes of that Chapter;
(b) no Magistrate shall authorise detention in any custody under this section unless the accused is produced before him;
(c) no Magistrate of the second class, not specially empowered in this behalf by the High Court, shall authorise detention in the custody of police.
Legislative History of the Section
The old Section 167 of 1898 Code provided for the detention of an accused in custody for a term not exceeding 15 days on the whole. It was noted that this was honored more in the breach than in the observance and that a practice of doubtful legality grew up namely the police used to file an incomplete charge-sheet and move the court for remand under Section 344 corresponding to the present Section 309 which was not meant for during investigation. Having regard to the fact that there may be genuine cases where investigation might not be completed in 15 days, the Law Commission made certain recommendations to confer power on the Magistrate to extend the period of 15 days detention.
These RECOMMENDATIONS are noticed in the objects and reasons of the Bill thus:
“………At present, Section 167 enables the Magistrate to authorise detention of an accused in custody for a term not exceeding 15 days on the whole. There is a complaint that this provision is honored more in the breach than in the observance and that the police investigation takes a much longer period in practice. A practice of doubtful legality has grown whereby the police file a “preliminary” or incomplete chargesheet and move the court for remand under Section 344 which is not intended to apply to the stage of investigation.
While in some cases the delay in investigation may be due to the fault of the police, it cannot be denied that there may be genuine cases where it may not be practicable to complete the investigation in 15 days. The Commission recommended that the period should be extended to 60 days, but if this is done, 60 days would become the rule and there is no guarantee that the illegal practice referred to above would not continue. It is considered that the most satisfactory solution of the problem would be to confer on the Magistrate the power to extend the period of extension beyond 15 days, whenever he is satisfied that adequate grounds exist for granting such extension…….”
The Joint Committee, however, with a view to have the desired effect made provision for the release of the accused if investigation is not duly completed in case where accused has been in custody for some period.
Sub-section (5) and (6) relating to offences punishable for imprisonment for two years were inserted and the Magistrate was authorised to stop further investigation and discharge the accused if the investigation could not be completed within six months.
By the Cr. P.C. Amendment Act 1978 proviso (a) to sub-section (2) of Section 167 has been further amended and the Magistrate is empowered to authorise the detention of accused in custody during investigation for an aggregate period of 90 days in cases relating to major offences and in other cases 60 days. This provision for custody for 90 days in intended to remove difficulties which actually arise in completion of the investigation of offences of serious nature.
A new sub-section (2A) also has been inserted empowering the Executive Magistrate to make an order for remand but only for a period not exceeding seven days in the aggregate and in cases where Judicial Magistrate is not available. This provision further lays down that period of detention ordered by such Executive Magistrate should be taken into account in computing the total period specified in clause (a) of sub-section (2) of Section 167.
Analysis
Now coming to the object and scope of Section 167 it is well-settled that it is supplementary to Section 57. It is clear from Section 57 that the investigation should be completed in the first instance within 24 hours if not, the arrested person should be brought by the police before a magistrate as provided under Section 167.
The law does not authorise a police officer to detain an arrested person for more than 24 hours exclusive of the time necessary for the journey from the place of arrest to the magistrate court. Sub-section (1) of Section 167 covers all this procedure and also lays down that the police officer while forwarding the accused to the nearest magistrate should also transmit a copy of the entries in the diary relating to the case.
The entries in the diary are meant to afford to the magistrate the necessary information upon which he can take the decision whether the accused should be detained in the custody further or not. It may be noted even at this stage the magistrate can release him on bail if an application is made and if he is satisfied that there are no grounds to remand him to custody but if he is satisfied that further remand is necessary then he should act as provided under Section 167.
It is at this stage sub-section (2) comes into operation which is very much relevant for our purpose. It lays down that the magistrate to whom the accused person is thus forwarded may, whether he has or has not jurisdiction to try the case, from time to time, authorise the detention of the accused in such custody as he thinks fit for a term not exceeding fifteen days in the whole.
If such magistrate has no jurisdiction to try the case or commit it for trial and if he considers further detention unnecessary, he may order the accused to be forwarded to a magistrate having such jurisdiction. The Section is clear in its terms. The magistrate under this Section can authorise the detention of the accused in such custody as he thinks fit but it should not exceed fifteen days in the whole.
Therefore the custody initially should not exceed fifteen days in the whole. The custody can be police custody or judicial custody as the magistrate thinks fit. The words “such custody” and “for a term not exceeding fifteen days in the whole” are very significant. It is also well-settled now that the period of fifteen days starts running as soon as the accused is produced before the Magistrate.
Reference
Central Bureau of Investigation v. Anupam J. Kulkarni (1992)