#cancellation report

A Punjab-Haryana High Court judgment bars police from directing any further inquiry after a cancellation report unless a magistrate authorises it under Section 173(8) CrPC and Section 193(9) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita. This limits police powers, ensuring judicial oversight of post-report investigations and protecting accused persons from unwarranted extensions of inquiry.

The Punjab & Haryana High Court has ruled that magistrates cannot accept police cancellation reports without giving the complainant a meaningful opportunity to be heard, reinforcing natural justice as a non-negotiable procedural requirement in criminal investigations. This sets a binding precedent for all magistrates handling cancellation reports under BNSS, ensuring complainants are not sidelined at the earliest stage of case disposal.