Section Text
(1) No court shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under this
Code, except on a complaint made by an aggrieved person or such officer as may be notified by the Central
Government for the purposes of offences relating to Chapter III and Chapter IV and the rules, regulations
or schemes made or framed under this Code relating to those Chapters, and for the purposes of offences
relating to other provisions of this Code and the rules, regulations or schemes made or framed thereunder,
by the officer notified by the appropriate Government.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), no prosecution under this Code shall be
instituted, except by or with the previous sanction of the authority notified by the Central Government for
the purposes of offences relating to Chapter III and Chapter IV and the rules, regulations or schemes made
or framed under this Code relating to those Chapters; and for the purposes of offences relating to other
provisions of this Code and the rules, regulations or schemes made or framed thereunder, the authority
notified by the appropriate Government.
(3) No court inferior to that of a Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the first class shall
try any offence punishable under this Chapter.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), a single complaint may be filed under that
sub-section by more than one aggrieved persons if they are aggrieved by the same or similar offence
committed at a place or different places within the jurisdiction of the court.