Often people forget the role magistrates play in a criminal proceeding. Any person who is arrested is first brought in front of the magistrate. Thus, it is up to the magistrate to either send him to police custody or judicial custody. The author, through this article, has emphasized the significant powers that a magistrate has, from ordering an investigation to taking up the investigation into his own hands. The author has explored various concepts like default bail and test identification parade, the magistrate's role in conducting identification parade. Finally, the author has laid down the different stages in which the magistrate regulates the police investigation by keeping a tight vigil on its activities.