In the scheme of Sections 176 and 178 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the Magistrate's…

Under Section 176 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (formerly s. 157 CrPC) the officer in charge of a police station reports the case to the Magistrate, and Section 178 empowers the Magistrate, on receiving that report, to direct an investigation or hold or depute a preliminary inquiry. This safeguard operates "When the police decides not to investigate the case", while the duty to inform the informant of non-investigation is in Section 176(2).