Cobalt(III) complexes (1-3) such as [Co(acac)(bpy)(N3)2·H2O] 1, [Co(acac)(en)(N3)2] 2, and [Co(acac)(2-pic)(N3)2] 3 (where, acac=acetylacetone, bpy=2.2'-bipyridine, en=ethylenediamine, 2-pic=2-picolylamine and NaN3=sodium azide) were synthesized and characterized. The structure of complexes (1-3) has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies and the configuration around cobalt(III) ion was distorted octahedral coordination geometry. Density functional theory calculations were performed to examine the molecular geometry and frontier molecular orbital properties of complexes (1-3). DNA binding properties of the cobalt(III) complexes with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) were investigated by UV-visible absorption, fluorescence, circular dichroism spectroscopy and viscosity measurements. The docking studies showed the preferred orientation of sterically acceptable Co(III) complexes (1, 2) inside the DNA through the mode of intercalation, whereas complex 3 exhibited minor groove binding modes. The intrinsic binding constants Kb of complexes (1-3) with CT-DNA were in the following order 1>3>2. Complexes (1-3) exhibit a good binding propensity to bovine serum albumin (BSA) and gel electrophoresis assay demonstrated that the complexes (1-3) promote the cleavage of the pBR322 DNA in the presence of 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) and cleavage process was found to proceed by singlet oxygen cleavage mechanism. Further, the in vitro cytotoxicity studies of complexes (1-3) were tested on human breast cancer cell line (MCF-7).