Per Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the total permissible police custody duration, including periodic extensions by a magistrate, is:

The correct option is 15 days (initial, extendable).

Detailed Explanation:

Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, specifically under Section 187 (which corresponds to Section 167 of the erstwhile Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973), police custody can be granted for a maximum total duration of 15 days in aggregate.

Key highlights of this provision under BNSS include:

1. Initial Custody Limit: The maximum period for which a Magistrate can authorize police custody, in whole or in parts, is 15 days in total during the initial period of investigation (within 40 days or 60 days depending on the nature/severity of the offense).

2. Flexibility in Utilization: Unlike the old CrPC regime where police custody had to be completed within the first 15 days of arrest, Section 187 of the BNSS allows the 15-day police custody to be taken in installments or fragments over the initial 40 or 60 days of the total detention period.

Therefore, the maximum permissible period for police custody remains 15 days (initial, extendable in parts).