249. In any case instituted otherwise than upon complaint, 1[a Metropolitan Magistrate], a Magistrate of the first class, or with the previous sanction of the 2[Chief Judicial Magistrate, any other Judicial Magistrate], may for reasons to be recorded by him, stop the proceedings at any stage without pronouncing any judgment either of acquittal or conviction, and may thereupon release the accused.
1
The letter and words "a Metropolitan Magistrate" were inserted by section 2 and Schedule of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Ordinance, 1976 (Ordinance No. LXXXVI of 1976)
2
The words and comma “Chief Judicial Magistrate, any other Judicial Magistrate” were substituted for the words and comma “District Magistrate, any other Magistrate” by section 70 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Act, 2009 (Act No. XXXII of 2009) (with effect from 1st November, 2007).
