Section 176

When more persons than one are accused of the same offence or of different offences committed in the same transaction, or of more than one offence falling within section 169 or when one person is accused of committing any offence and another of abetment of or attempt to commit that offence or when one person is accused of the offence of theft or extortion or criminal misappropriation or cheating, or criminal breach of trust, and another of receiving or retaining or assisting in the disposal or concealment of the subject-matter of that offence they may be charged and tried together or separately as the court thinks fit and the provisions contained in the former part of this Chapter shall apply to all the charges.[175Illustrations (a) A and B are accused of the same murder. A and B may be charged and tried together for the murder. (b) A and B are accused of a robbery in the course of which A commits a murder with which B has nothing to do. A and B may be tried together on charges, charging both of them with the robbery and A alone with the murder. (c) A and B are both charged with a theft and B is charged with two other thefts committed by him in the course of the same transaction. A and B may be both tried together on charges, charging both with the one theft and B alone with the two other thefts. (d) A and B being members of opposing factions in a riot should be charged and tried separately. (e) A and B are accused of giving false evidence in the same proceeding. They should be charged and tried separately.