44. Powers and jurisdiction of Gram Panchayat over criminal offences.
(1)Gram Panchayat shall exercise powers and shall have jurisdiction over matters laid down in Schedule II.(2)For the purpose of deciding whether an offence falls within the jurisdiction of a Gram Panchayat, the provisions of sections 178 to 181 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 shall apply.(3)A Gram Panchayat shall be deemed to be criminal court when trying criminal cases.
