When is a confessional statement by an accused to be proved against him in criminal proceedings ? 1. When it is made to a police officer 2. When it is made in the immediate presence of a Magistrate 3. When it is made to a respectable person of the locality where he resides Select the correct answer using the code given below :

Section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 explicitly states that "No confession made to a police officer, shall be proved as against a person accused of any offence." This rules out point 1. Section 26 states that "No confession made by any person whilst he is in the custody of a police officer, unless it be made in the immediate presence of a Magistrate, shall be proved as against such person." This means that a confession made while in police custody is admissible if made in the immediate presence of a Magistrate. Point 2 describes this specific exception. While a confession to a respectable person (point 3) might be admissible if voluntary and not hit by Section 24 (inducement, threat, or promise), Section 26 provides a statutory condition for admissibility even when in police custody, making point 2 the most clearly and specifically admissible scenario described among the options in the context of the restrictions imposed by Sections 25 and 26.