Benches of Magistrates

(1) The Government may direct any two or more Magistrates in any place 22[outside 23[a] Metropolitan Area] to sit together as a Bench, and may by order invest such Bench with any of the powers conferred or conferrable by or under this Code on a Magistrate of the first, second or third class, and direct it to exercise such powers in such cases, or, such classes of cases only, and within such local limits, as the Government thinks fit.