Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973
CrPC Section 162 in BNSS
Statements to police not to be signed. Section 162 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Statements to police not to be signed) corresponds to Section 181 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.
Verify before you rely on this. Renumbering under the 2023 codes is not a clean one-to-one exercise — provisions were merged, split and reworded. Always check the printed bare act.
Where this sits in the exam
This provision is examined under CrPC & Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, worth 10 of the 100 marks in AIBE XXII. The paper permits bare acts but bans notes, so what matters is finding it quickly, not reciting the number.
Questions that turn on this section
Statements recorded by a police officer during investigation are:
Answer & explanation
Not to be signed by the maker, and usable only to contradict him at trial
The rule against using police statements as substantive evidence; they serve only to contradict under § 148 BSA / § 145 IEA.
Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Examine both and decide whether each is true, and if so whether (R) correctly explains (A). Assertion (A): A statement made to a police officer in the course of investigation cannot be used as substantive evidence at trial. Reason (R): Such a statement is not signed by the maker and is recorded without oath or cross-examination.
Answer & explanation
Both (A) and (R) are true, and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
The absence of oath and of any opportunity to cross-examine is precisely why the law confines such statements to contradiction under § 148 BSA. (R) explains (A).
Sections either side of it
How the neighbouring provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 were renumbered:
| CrPC | Provision | BNSS |
|---|---|---|
| 157 | Procedure for investigation | 176 |
| 160 | Police officer's power to require attendance of witnesses | 179 |
| 161 | Examination of witnesses by police | 180 |
| 163 | No inducement to be offered | 182 |
| 164 | Recording of confessions and statements | 183 |
| 164A | Medical examination of the victim of rape | 184 |
Practise it
Cutoff has AIBE XXII questions on this area, each cited to both codes with a line telling you where to find it in the bare act. Ten questions per subject are free, no account needed.
Practise free Full CrPC→BNSS table