Judicial notice or knowledge; the judicial recognition or hearing of a cause; the right to take notice of and determine a cause. Section 57 of the Evidence Act 1872, mentions facts which the court is bound to take judicial notice of.
Section 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 empowers a Magistrate of the First and Second classes to take cognizance of an offence in three ways, viz., (i) on complaint; (ii) on police report (iii) on information from any person other than a police officer or on his own knowledge. Cognizance means taking notice of an offence by a “Criminal Court” initiating a judicial proceeding against an accused or taking steps to see whether there is any basis for initiating any proceeding. ….. (Abdur Gafur Vs. The State, 15 BLD (HCD) 604)