Cognizance of offences by Magistrates
OF THE JURISDICTION OF THE CRIMINAL COURTS IN INQUIRIES AND TRIALS
(1) Except as hereinafter provided, any 234[Chief Metropolitan Magistrate,] 235[Metropolitan Magistrate], 236[Chief Judicial Magistrate, Magistrate of the first class, and any other Magistrate specially empowered in this behalf under sub-section
or (3)], may take cognizance of any offence-
upon receiving a complaint of facts which constitute such offence;
upon a report in writing of such facts made by any police-officer;
upon information received from any person other than a police-officer, or upon his own knowledge or suspicion, that such offence has been committed. 237[(2) the Government may, and subject to any general or special order issued in this behalf by the High Court Division, the Chief Judicial Magistrate may empower any Magistrate of the second or third class to take cognizance under sub-section
clause
or clause
of offences which he may try or send for trial]
The Government may empower any Magistrate of the 238[***] second class to take cognizance under sub-section (1), clause (c), of offences for which he may try or 239[send] for trial. 240[(4) Notwithstanding anything contained to the contrary in this section or elsewhere in this Code, the Government may, by an order specifying the reasons and period stated therein, empower any Executive Magistrate to take cognizance under clause (a),
or
or sub-section (1), of offences and the Executive Magistrate shall send it for trial to the court of competent jurisdiction.]