102. Local inquiry and reports by village panchayat.
- It shall be the duty of every village panchayat to enquire and report many of the following cases, namely:-(a)any case where a magistrate has directed that a previous local investigation be made by a village panchayat under section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (II of 1974), and the words "such other person" in sub-section (1) of the said section shall be deemed to include a village panchayat;(b)any case in which a magistrate making an inquiry under section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, may require from the village panchayat in whose jurisdiction either the wife or child for whose maintenance the application is made or the husband or parents respectively of such wife or child resides, reports as to the amount of maintenance which, having regard to the circumstances of the parties, should be payable and such report shall be evidence in such inquiry;Provided that no member of the village panchayat shall be required to attend as a witness touching any matter on which the report is itself evidence but the magistate may, in his discretion, call for a further report.
