Chargesheet

For the 2011 film, see Chargesheet (film).

In policing on the Indian subcontinent, a chargesheet is prepared after first information reports (FIRs), and charges an individual for (some or all of) the crimes specified in those reports. ^{[1] [ unreliable source ] [2] [3]}

Once the chargesheet has been submitted to a court of law, the court decides as to who among the accused has sufficient prima facie evidence against them to be put on trial. After the court pronounces its order on framing of charges, prosecution proceedings against the accused begin in the judicial system. ^[4]

Contents

• Names of the parties involved (complainant, accused, witnesses).
• Nature of the information or offense committed.
• List of evidence collected (documents, forensic reports, seized items, witness statements).
• Status of the accused (whether arrested, in custody, or released on bail).
• The relevant legal provisions (sections of the Indian Penal Code or other laws) under which the accused is charged.

Privacy

The Supreme Court of India has ruled that chargesheets are not public documents and cannot be made freely accessible to the public, as this would compromise the rights of the accused, victims, and the investigation agencies. They are, however, provided to the accused to prepare their defense. ^[5]

Evidentiary Value

A chargesheet itself is not a substantive piece of evidence or proof of guilt, it is the opinion of the investigating officer based on their findings. The charges mentioned in it must be proven in court during the trial through admissible evidence and witness testimonies.

References

1. What is a chargesheet?, The SIF Guide To Surviving IPC 498A, 2007-03-30, archived from the original on 2009-04-11, retrieved 2008-11-01, Snippet: ... The charge-sheet is nothing but a final report of police officer under Section 173(2) of the Cr.P.C. ... This report is intimation to the magistrate that upon investigation into a cognizable offence, the Investigation Officer has been able to procure sufficient evidence for the court to inquire into the offence and the necessary information is being sent to the court. In fact, the report under Section 173(2), purports to be an opinion of the Investigating Officer that as far as he is concerned he has been able to procure sufficient material for the trial of the accused by the Court. ...
2. "Lawyers Forum: What is a Chargesheet?". 11 September 2007.
3. "What is chargesheet? Definition and meaning". Archived from the original on 2011-11-06. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
4. "Scam framing of charges - a raja kanimozhi", Business Today
5. Bureau, The Hindu (2023-01-20). "Chargesheets need not be put in public domain: Supreme Court". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2025-12-06.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)