Supreme Court guidelines say courts should normally use a summons to secure appearance and treat warrants—especially non‑bailable warrants—as exceptional, to be issued only in serious cases with real risks like absconding or tampering with evidence and never in a routine, mechanical way. Lower courts are expected to apply Section 204 CrPC with this mindset, starting from summons and escalating to bailable and then non‑bailable warrants only with recorded reasons, and best lawyers challenge improper procedure by citing these rulings, showing that milder options were ignored, seeking recall or dilution of harsh warrants, and, if needed, moving higher courts while keeping the accused fully cooperative and present.
