Code of Criminal Procedure Act, 1973
378.Appeal in case of acquittal.-
(1) Save as otherwise provided in sub-section
(2) and subject to the provisions of sub-sections (3) and (5), the State
Government may, in any case, direct the Public Prosecutor to present an appeal
to the High Court from an original or appellate order of acquittal passed by
any Court other than a High Court.
(2) If such an order of acquittal is passed in any case in which the offence
has been investigated by the Delhi Special Police Establishment constituted
under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 (25 of 1946) or by any
other agency empowered to make investigation into an offence under any Central
Act other than this Code, the Central Government may also direct the Public
Prosecutor to present an appeal, subject to the provisions of sub-section (3),
to the High Court from the order of acquittal.
(3) No appeal under sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be entertained
except with the leave of the High Court.
(4) If such an order of acquittal is passed in any case instituted upon
complaint and the High Court, on an application made to it by the complainant
in this behalf, grants special leave to appeal from the order of acquittal, the
complainant may present such an appeal to the High Court.
(5) No application under sub-section (4) for the grant of special leave to
appeal from an order of acquittal shall be entertained by the High Court after
the expiry of six months, where the complainant is a public servant, and sixty
days in every other case, computed from the date of that order of acquittal.
(6) If, in any case, the application under sub-section (4) for the grant of
special leave to appeal from an order of acquittal is refused, no appeal from
that order of acquittal shall lie under sub-section (1) or under sub-section
(2).