The Magistrate, on receiving a report under section 176, may direct an investigation, or, if he thinks fit, at once proceed, or depute any Magistrate subordinate to him to proceed, to hold a preliminary inquiry into, or otherwise to dispose of, the case in the manner provided in this Sanhita.
India Code, Government of India. Text fetched 09 Oct 2026. Source metadata reports last modification: 2024-07-01. Check the linked official text and subsequent notifications when applying a provision.