Under Section 173 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, if a police officer-in-charge determines that an investigation is not warranted because the case lacks sufficient gravity, they are legally obligated to notify the informant of this decision within:
- A14 days
- B7 days
- C30 days
- D24 hours
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
Under the structural reforms brought by the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, Section 173 introduces statutory safeguards against arbitrary police inaction. When an officer-in-charge determines that a matter does not possess sufficient gravity or grounds to warrant a full investigation, they must formally record the reasons and communicate this decision to the informant within a mandatory timeframe of 14 days.