Supply of the Police Report and Documents to the Accused Under the BNSS (Section 230): CrPC 207 Mapping (2026)
What Section 230 of the BNSS requires, the new 14-day limit to supply the police report and documents to the accused, and how it maps to Section 207 of the old CrPC. Last verified October 2026.
Explainer · Criminal Procedure · BNSS
An accused cannot answer a case they have not seen. Section 230 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (BNSS) is the provision that puts the prosecution papers in the hands of the accused before the trial begins. It replaced Section 207 of the old Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC), and it adds a new 14-day outer limit for the court to supply those copies. It carries no punishment, because it is a fair-trial safeguard, not an offence. Last verified October 2026.
- What it is: Section 230 of the BNSS is the duty to supply the police report and documents to the accused free of cost.
- Old section: it replaces Section 207 of the CrPC.
- New limit: copies must be supplied within 14 days of the accused being produced or appearing.
- Also new: electronic supply is valid, and a victim with an advocate is entitled to free copies.
- Research and tracking: Claw searches 30 crore+ judgments and tracks matters across 9,102 courts, benches and forums.
01Why the supply of documents matters
A fair trial starts with a simple thing: the accused must know the case against them. That means the police report, the FIR, the statements of witnesses, and the documents the prosecution will use. Without these papers, the accused cannot prepare a defence, cannot test the charge, and cannot decide whether to seek discharge.
Under the old law, copies were supplied, but there was no fixed time to do it. Delays were common, and a case could sit for months before the accused even had the file. Section 230 of the BNSS fixes that by setting a clear deadline.
People searching "bnss 230", "section 207 crpc in bnss", or "supply of documents to accused" are looking for this provision and the new timeline.
02What Section 230 requires
Section 230 requires the Magistrate, in a case instituted on a police report, to supply the accused free of cost with copies of the police report and the key documents, and to do so within 14 days. In plain terms, the set of papers includes the police report, the first information report (FIR), the statements recorded under the relevant sections, any confession or statement sent to the Magistrate, and the documents or relevant extracts the prosecution relies on.
The BNSS adds two important points that were not in the old section:
- A 14-day limit. The court must furnish the copies without delay, and in no case later than 14 days from the date the accused is produced or appears. This fixed window is new.
- Electronic supply counts. The documents may be supplied in electronic form, which is treated as valid supply. This fits the BNSS push toward digital records.
Where a document is bulky, the Magistrate may allow the accused to inspect it instead of taking a full copy, as under the old law. Section 230 also recognises the victim, so a victim represented by an advocate is now entitled to receive copies free of cost as well.
A procedure provision, not an offence
Section 230 does not create a crime and has no punishment. Labels like cognizable or bailable attach to the offence charged, not to this section. It is a duty on the court to supply papers so the trial is fair.
03Section 207 CrPC to Section 230 BNSS
Section 230 of the BNSS replaces Section 207 of the CrPC. Section 207 was the supply-of-copies provision for cases instituted on a police report. The core duty is carried over. What is new is the 14-day limit, the express recognition of electronic copies, and the victim-copy entitlement.
| Old law (CrPC, 1973) | New law (BNSS, 2023) | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Section 207 | Section 230 | Supply of copies in a case on a police report |
| Section 208 | Section 231 | Supply of copies in a case not on a police report |
So if your case started on a police report, the supply provision is Section 230. If the Magistrate takes cognizance otherwise than on a police report, for example on a private complaint, the parallel provision is Section 231, which replaced Section 208 of the CrPC.
04What changed from the old law
The substance of the duty did not change. The accused still gets the prosecution papers free of cost. The real changes are three: a fixed 14-day window, express electronic supply, and a free copy for a victim who has an advocate.
The deadline has teeth in practice. Courts have treated a trial that proceeds without proper supply under Section 230 as a breach of the fair-trial principle, so a missed deadline can be a ground to resist the framing of charge. For what the police report itself must contain, see charge sheet under BNSS Section 193. For the next stage after supply, see framing of charge under BNSS Section 251 and discharge in a sessions trial under Section 250. For a plain list of these shifts, see BNSS vs CrPC key changes.
05Where Claw fits
Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.
The supply of the police report under Section 230 starts the clock for discharge and for the framing of charge, and the new 14-day window leaves little slack, so the dates have to be watched closely. Claw helps on two sides of that. Its judgment search spans the Supreme Court from 1950 and the High Courts from 1990, a body of more than 30 crore decisions, and returns rulings on Section 230 and the old Section 207 in under five seconds. Alongside that, it keeps your matter under watch across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, recording each order and the next date so the supply stage and the 14-day limit stay in view. See case search across Indian courts.
Open a free Claw account to search and follow these matters by party or advocate name. Claw does not use customer case documents to train its AI models, and it is a research and tracking tool: it does not supply the papers, draft applications, or replace legal advice.
06Sources and further reading
- India Code (official text of the BNSS, 2023): indiacode.nic.in
- Ministry of Home Affairs (new criminal laws): mha.gov.in
- Supreme Court of India (judgments): sci.gov.in
- Claw: clawlaw.in
This explainer is general information, not legal advice. The law changes through amendments and judgments, so check the current text of Section 230 and take advice from counsel before you act.
07Frequently asked questions
What is Section 230 of the BNSS?
Section 230 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 requires a Magistrate, in a case started on a police report, to supply the accused free of cost with copies of the police report, the FIR, and the statements and documents the prosecution relies on, within 14 days.
Which old section does Section 230 BNSS replace?
It replaces Section 207 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, which governed the supply of copies to the accused in cases on a police report. The parallel provision for cases not on a police report is Section 231, which replaced Section 208 of the CrPC.
What is the time limit to supply documents under the BNSS?
Section 230 sets a 14-day outer limit. The court must supply the copies without delay and in no case later than 14 days from the date the accused is produced or appears. The old Section 207 had no fixed time.
Can documents be supplied in electronic form?
Yes. Section 230 expressly allows the copies to be supplied in electronic form, which is treated as valid supply. This is a change from the old law and reflects the BNSS move toward digital records.
Does the victim get copies too?
A victim who is represented by an advocate is entitled to receive copies of the documents free of cost under the BNSS scheme. This recognition of the victim is new compared with the old Section 207. Confirm the exact proviso before relying on it.
Can I track a case under Section 230 in Claw?
Yes. Claw keeps your matter under watch across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, recording each order and hearing date, which helps with the 14-day window, and lets you search more than 30 crore judgments for rulings on supply of documents in under five seconds. Claw does not supply the papers or give legal advice.