Cognizable Offence
/ˈkɒɡnɪzəbəl əˈfɛns/
Legal Term
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Definition
An offence in which police have the power to arrest without a warrant, investigate without Magistrate permission, and register an FIR. Generally serious offences — murder, rape, robbery, kidnapping, dacoity. The Schedule to the CrPC (and BNSS) specifies which offences are cognizable.
Examples
Case Study
In State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal (1992), the Supreme Court laid down seven categories where an FIR in a cognizable case may be quashed — including where the allegations, taken at face value, do not disclose a cognizable offence at all.
Key Cases
State of Haryana v. Bhajan Lal
1992AIR 1992 SC 604
Laid down seven categories where FIR in a cognizable case can be quashed by High Court under Section 482 CrPC. Foundational authority on the limits of FIR jurisdiction.
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