Code:
Where—
(a) the offences committed by any person are such that he may be charged with, and tried at one trial for, each such offence by virtue of the provisions of section 242, section 243 or section 244; or
(b) the offence or offences committed by several persons are such that they may be charged with and tried together by virtue of the provisions of section 246, the offences may be inquired into or tried by any Court competent to inquire into or try any of the offences.
Explanation:
This section lays down the jurisdiction of courts in cases involving multiple offences committed by one or more individuals. It states that if the offences are such that they can be tried together under Sections 242, 243, 244, or 246 of the BNSS, then any court competent to try any of those offences can inquire into or try all of them.
Illustration:
- Scenario: A person commits theft (Section 379 BNSS) and assault (Section 323 BNSS) on the same victim.
- Application: Since the offences can be tried together under Section 242 of the BNSS (as they are committed against the same person), any court competent to try theft or assault can try both offences together.
Common Questions and Answers:
- Q: What are the conditions for offences to be tried together under Section 204?
A: The offences must either be committed by one person and triable under Sections 242, 243, or 244, or committed by multiple persons and triable together under Section 246.
- Q: Does Section 204 mandate that all offences be tried together?
A: No, Section 204 only provides the power to the court to try multiple offences together. The decision to try them separately or together is at the court’s discretion.
- Q: What are the benefits of trying multiple offences together?
A: It saves time and resources, avoids multiple trials, and ensures consistency in judgments.
