Section 56: Composition of offences
Reviewed by Finin2min Editorial Desk · Last reviewed 30 August 2026
Permits composition of specified offences on statutory terms while excluding ineligible repeat cases.
Principal remaining provisions commenced on 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5322(E), read with the earlier partial commencement; check section-specific footnotes in the current India Code text.
Provision / India Code ↗ · Official Act PDF ↗ · 2026 Central Rules ↗
Finin2min analysis — what the section actually does
Operative clauses
- (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), any offence punishable under this Code, not being an offence punishable with imprisonment only, or with imprisonment and also with fine, may, on an application of the accused person, either before or after the institution of any prosecution, be compounded by a Gazetted Officer, as the appropriate Government may, by…
- (2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall apply to an offence committed by a person for the second time or thereafter within a period of five years from the date— (i) of commission of a similar offence which was earlier compounded;
- (3) Every officer referred to in sub-section (1) shall exercise the powers to compound an offence, subject to the direction, control and supervision of the appropriate Government.
- (4) Every application for the compounding of an offence shall be made in such manner as may be prescribed.
- (5) Where any offence is compounded before the institution of any prosecution, no prosecution shall be instituted in relation to such offence, against the offender in relation to whom the offence is so compounded.
Provisos, explanations & qualifications
- No proviso/explanation was separately extracted from this section text.
Thresholds and timelines in the text
- Composition of offences.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), any offence punishable under this Code, not being an offence punishable with imprisonment only, or with imprisonment and also with fine, may, on an application of the accused person, either before or after the institution of any…
- (2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall apply to an offence committed by a person for the second time or thereafter within a period of five years from the date— (i) of commission of a similar offence which was earlier compounded;
- (7) Any person who fails to comply with an order made by the officer referred to in sub-section (1), shall be punishable with a sum equivalent to twenty per cent. of the maximum fine provided for the offence, in addition to such fine.
Actors expressly appearing in the text
Appropriate Government
Full statutory text — Section 56
56. Composition of offences.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), any offence punishable under this Code, not being an offence punishable
with imprisonment only, or with imprisonment and also with fine, may, on an application of the accused
person, either before or after the institution of any prosecution, be compounded by a Gazetted Officer, as
the appropriate Government may, by notification, specify, for a sum of fifty per cent. of the maximum
fine provided for such offence, in the manner as may be prescribed.
(2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall apply to an offence committed by a person for the
second time or thereafter within a period of five years from the date—
(i) of commission of a similar offence which was earlier compounded;
(ii) of commission of similar offence for which such person was earlier convicted.
(3) Every officer referred to in sub-section (1) shall exercise the powers to compound an offence,
subject to the direction, control and supervision of the appropriate Government.
(4) Every application for the compounding of an offence shall be made in such manner as may be
prescribed.
(5) Where any offence is compounded before the institution of any prosecution, no prosecution shall
be instituted in relation to such offence, against the offender in relation to whom the offence is so
compounded.
(6) Where the composition of any offence is made after the institution of any prosecution, such
composition shall be brought by the officer referred to in sub-section (1) in writing, to the notice of the
court in which the prosecution is pending and on such notice of the composition of the offence being
given, the person against whom the offence is so compounded shall be discharged.
(7) Any person who fails to comply with an order made by the officer referred to in sub-section (1),
shall be punishable with a sum equivalent to twenty per cent. of the maximum fine provided for the
offence, in addition to such fine.
(8) No offence punishable under the provisions of this Code shall be compounded except under and in
accordance with the provisions of this section.
CHAPTER IX
MISCELLANEOUSHow to apply this provision
- Primary statutory test — (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), any offence punishable under this Code, not being an offence punishable with imprisonment only, or with imprisonment and also with fine, may, on an application of the accused person, either before or after the institution of any prosecution, be compounded by a Gazetted Officer, as the appropriate Government may, by…
- Additional operative limb — (2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall apply to an offence committed by a person for the second time or thereafter within a period of five years from the date— (i) of commission of a similar offence which was earlier compounded;
- Numerical or timing control — Composition of offences.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), any offence punishable under this Code, not being an offence punishable with imprisonment only, or with imprisonment and also with fine, may, on an application of the accused person, either before or after the institution of any…
- Central Rule mapping — 54. Read the mapped provision together with this text rather than treating the concordance as a substitute for it.
- Evidence file — retain facts and records proving the role/status of: Appropriate Government.
Rules, forms and cross-references
Direct 2026 Central Rule mapping
Forms mapped
No prescribed form is directly mapped in the current concordance.
Other sections cited in this text
Related Labour Hub resources
A direct concordance is not exhaustive. Central/State jurisdiction, schemes, authority appointments, saved instruments and later notifications may change the practical route without changing the section wording.
Worked example
When an event triggers composition of offences, record the trigger date, competent authority, prescribed rule/form, filing or decision step, service/acknowledgement and final outcome. A statutory point to test is: “Composition of offences.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), any offence punishable under this Code, not being an offence punishable with imprisonment only, or with imprisonment and also with fine, may, on an application of ” Read the mapped Central Rule(s) 54.
Illustration only; it is not statutory text or a substitute for applying the actual facts, jurisdiction, current rule/scheme and official instrument.
Q&A — Section 56
What does Section 56 of the Code on Wages cover?
Permits composition of specified offences on statutory terms while excluding ineligible repeat cases.
What is the main legal requirement or power in Section 56?
The first operative clause identified from the official text is: “(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), any offence punishable under this Code, not being an offence punishable with imprisonment only, or with imprisonment and also with fine, may, on an application of the accused person, either before or after the institution of any prosecution, be compounded by a Gazetted Officer, as the appropriate Government may, by…” Read it with the remaining subsections and any proviso below.
Does Section 56 contain a proviso or explanation?
No standalone proviso or explanation was extracted from this section text. Check the full text below for clause-level qualifications.
What time limit, percentage or amount appears in Section 56?
The provision contains this numerical/time expression: “Composition of offences.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), any offence punishable under this Code, not being an offence punishable with imprisonment only, or with imprisonment and also with fine, may, on an application of the accused person, either before or after the institution of any…” Apply it only in the clause and context in which it appears.
Which 2026 Central Rules are linked to Section 56?
The current concordance maps Section 56 to Central Rule(s) 54.
Is Section 56 currently operative?
Principal remaining provisions commenced on 21 November 2025 under S.O. 5322(E), read with the earlier partial commencement; check section-specific footnotes in the current India Code text.
Source & verification trail
Act: Code on Wages, 2019 — official India Code PDF ↗
Central Rules: Code on Wages (Central) Rules, 2026 — G.S.R. 343(E), 8 May 2026 ↗
Official library: Ministry of Labour & Employment — Labour Codes ↗
Source check: 20 August 2026. Individual professional interpretation should be re-reviewed when the section, rules, notification, scheme, State overlay or controlling judgment changes.