Chargesheet is a legal document that outlines the charges against the person who is accused of the crime. It is prepared by the police officers after completion of the final investigation and defined under Section 174 of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) 1973.
What it entails?
The chargesheet contains details of the alleged offense, the evidence collected by the investigating agency, the names of witnesses and the statement of the accused.
Where is the filed?
It is filed before the court where the case will be heard and forms the basis of the trial.
When is it filed?
It must be filed within a specified time frame after the arrest of the accused depending on the nature of the offense and the laws therein.
How is it filed?
- It begins with the registration of FIR based on a complaint about a crime.
- Police conducts an investigation, collects evidence and identifies the suspects.
- Once investigation is done, police includes all the relevant information in the chargesheet and files it before a court which has the jurisdiction over the case.
- Court examines the merits of the case based on the filed chargesheet.
- If the accused is found guilty, then the chargesheet is also used to determine the appropriate sentence.
