A Magistrate must provide substance of information in orders under Section 111 of the Cr.P.C to ensure legality of peace bonds.

ORDER

Dated this the 20^th day of November, 2025 The petitioner is the counter petitioner in M.C.No.86/2025 pending before the Court of the Sub Divisional Magistrate, Punalur.

2. The petitioner has been served with Annexure-A1 preliminary order calling upon him to show cause why he should not be ordered to execute a bond for Rs.20,000/- with two solvent sureties for the like amount, to keep peace for a period of one year as contemplated under Section 107 read with Section 111 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (‘Cr.P.C’, in short).

3. The petitioner contends that Annexure-A1 order is unsustainable in law because the Sub Divisional Magistrate has not set forth the substance of the information in the said order, which is mandatory under Section 107 read with Section 111 of the Cr.P.C, and the law laid down by this Court inMoidu vs. State of Kerala ( 1982 KHC 139 )

Therefore, Annexure-A1 preliminary order may be quashed.

4. Heard; the learned Counsel for the petitioner and the learned Public Prosecutor.

5. In the above context it is necessary to refer to Sections 107 and 111 of the Code of Criminal Procedure ,which reads as follows:

“107. Security for keeping the peace in other cases.—(1) When an Executive Magistrate receives information that any person is likely to commit a breach of the peace or disturb the public tranquillity or to do any wrongful act that may probably occasion a breach of the peace or disturb the public tranquillity and is of opinion that there is sufficient ground for proceeding, he may, in the manner hereinafter provided, require such person to show cause why he should not be ordered to execute a bond 1 [with or without sureties,] for keeping the peace for such period, not exceeding one year, as the Magistrate thinks fit.

(2) Proceedings under this section may be taken before any Executive Magistrate when either the place where the breach of the peace or disturbance is apprehended is within his local jurisdiction or there is within such jurisdiction a person who is likely to commit a breach of the peace or disturb the public tranquillity or to do any wrongful act as aforesaid beyond such jurisdiction.”

“111. Order to be made.—When a Magistrate acting under section 107, section 108, section 109 or section 110, deems it necessary to require any person to show cause under such section, he shall make an order in writing, setting forth the substance of the information received, the amount of the bond to be executed, the term for which it is to be in force, and the number, character and class of sureties (if any) required.”

6. The above provisions explicitly postulates that the Executive Magistrate, on receiving information that any person is likely to commit a breach of peace, disturb the public tranquility or does any wrongful act, and that there are sufficient grounds to proceed against him, the Executive Magistrate may, in the manner provided under Chapter VIII of the Cr.P.C, require such person to show cause why he should not be ordered to execute a bond or bail bond for his good behavior for such period, not exceeding one year provided an order in writing is passed, setting forth the substance of information received, the amount of bond to be executed, the term for which it is to be in force and the number of sureties.

7. It is the petitioner's case that, the Sub Divisional Magistrate has passed Annexure-A1 preliminary order without furnishing the substance of information. Instead, the Sub Divisional Magistrate has merely stated that the petitioner is involved in a crime registered by the Police.

8. In Jayanth K. C. v. State of Kerala (2025 KHC

1591), this Court has held that mere registration of a crime and an anticipation of possible violence, without imminent t