Border Security Force Act, 1968
An Act to provide for the constitution and regulation of an Armed Force of the Union for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected therewith.
Chapter I: Preliminary
Chapter II: Constitution of the Force and Conditions of Service of the Members of the Force
- 4 Constitution of the Force
- 5 Control, direction
- 6 Enrolment
- 7 Liability for service outside India
- 8 Resignation and withdrawal from the post
- 9 Tenure of service under the Act
- 10 Termination of service by Central Government
- 11 Dismissal, removal or reduction by the Director-General and by other officers 1 judgment
- 12 Certificate of termination of service
- 13 Restrictions respecting right to form association, freedom of speech, etc
Chapter III: Offences
- 14 Offences in relation to the enemy and punishable with death
- 15 Offences in relation to the enemy and not punishable with death
- 16 Offences punishable more severly on active duty than at other times
- 17 Mutiny
- 18 Desertion and aiding desertion
- 19 Absence without leave
- 20 Striking or threatening superior officers
- 21 Disobedience to superior officer
- 22 Insubordination and obstruction
- 23 False answers on enrolment
- 24 Certain forms of disgraceful conduct 1 judgment
- 25 Ill-treating a subordinate
- 26 Intoxication
- 27 Permitting escape of person in custody
- 28 Irregularity in connection with arrest or confinement
- 29 Escape from custody
- 30 Offences in respect of property
- 31 Extortion and corruption
- 32 Making away with equipment
- 33 Injury to property
- 34 False accusations
- 35 Falsifying official documents and false declarations
- 36 Signing in blank and failure to report
- 37 Offences relating to Security Force Court
- 38 False evidence
- 39 Unlawful detention of pay
- 40 Violation of good order and discipline 2 judgments
- 41 Miscellaneous offences
- 42 Attempt
- 43 Abetment of offences that have been committed
- 44 Abetment of offences punishable with death and not committed
- 45 Abetment of offences punishable with imprisonment and not committed
- 46 Civil offences 2 judgments
- 47 Civil offences not triable by a Security Force Court 1 judgment
Chapter IV: Punishments
- 48 Punishments awardable by Security Force Courts
- 49 Alternative punishments awardable by Security Force Courts
- 50 Combination of punishments
- 51 Retention in the Force of a person convicted on active duty
- 52 Punishments otherwise than by Security Force Courts
- 53 Minor punishments
- 54 Limit of punishments under section 53
- 55 Punishment of persons of and below the rank of subordinate officers by Deputy Inspectors-General and others
- 56 Collective fines
Chapter V: Arrest and Proceedings Before Trial
Chapter VI: Security Force Courts
- 64 Kinds of Security Force Courts
- 65 Power to convene a General Security Force Court
- 66 Power to convene a Petty Security Force Court
- 67 Contents of warrants issued under sections 65 and 66
- 68 Composition of General Security Force Court
- 69 Composition of a Petty Security Force Court
- 70 Summary Security Force Court
- 71 Dissolution of a Security Force Court
- 72 Powers of a General Security Force Court
- 73 Powers of a Petty Security Force Court
- 74 Powers of a Summary Security Force Court
- 75 Prohibition of second trial
- 76 Period of limitation for trial for an offence of desertion in certain cases
- 77 Trial, etc., of offender who ceases to be subject to this Act
- 78 Application of Act during term of sentence
- 79 Place of trial
- 80 Choice between criminal court and Security Force Court 1 judgment
- 81 Power of criminal court to require delivery of offender
Chapter VII: Procedure of Security Force Courts
- 82 Presiding Officer
- 83 Law Officers
- 84 Challenges
- 85 Oaths of member, Law Officer and witness
- 86 Voting by members
- 87 General rule as to evidence
- 88 Judicial notice
- 89 Summoning witnesses
- 90 Documents exempted from production
- 91 Commissions for examination of witnesses
- 92 Examination of a witness on commission
- 93 Conviction of offence not charged
- 94 Presumption as to signatures
- 95 Enrolment paper
- 96 Presumption as to certain documents
- 97 Reference by accused to Government Officer
- 98 Evidence of previous convictions and general character
- 99 Lunacy of accused
- 100 Subsequent fitness of lunatic accused for trial
- 101 Transmission to Central Government of orders under section 100
- 102 Release of lunatic accused
- 103 Delivery of lunatic accused to relatives
- 104 Order for custody and disposal of property pending trial
- 105 Order for disposal of property regarding which offence is committed
- 106 Powers of Security Force Court in relation to proceedings under this Act
Chapter VIII: Confirmation and Revision
- 107 Finding and sentence not valid, unless confirmed
- 108 Power to confirm finding and sentence of General Security Force Court
- 109 Power to confirm finding and sentence of Petty Security Force Court
- 110 Limitation of powers of confirming authority
- 111 Power of confirming authority to mitigate, remit or commute sentences
- 112 Confirming of findings and sentences on board a ship
- 113 Revision of finding of sentence
- 114 Finding and sentence of a Summary Security Force Court
- 115 Transmission of proceedings of Summary Security Force Courts
- 116 Alteration of finding or sentence in certain cases
- 117 Remedy against order, finding or sentence of Security Force Courts 2 judgments
- 118 Annulment of proceedings
Chapter IX: Execution of Sentence, Pardons, Remissions, Etc.
- 119 Form of sentence of death
- 120 Commencement of sentence of imprisonment
- 121 Execution of sentence of imprisonment
- 121A Period of custody undergone by a person to be set-off against the imprisonment
- 122 Temporary custody of offender
- 123 Execution of sentence of imprisonment in special cases
- 124 Conveyance of prisoner from place to place
- 125 Communication of certain orders to prison officers
- 126 Execution of sentence of fine
- 127 Informality or error in the order or warrant
- 128 Pardon and remission
- 129 Cancellation of conditional pardon, release on parole or remission
- 130 Suspension of sentence of imprisonment
- 131 Orders pending suspension
- 132 Release on suspension
- 133 Computation of period of suspension
- 134 Order after suspension
- 135 Reconsideration of case after suspension
- 136 Fresh sentence after suspension
- 137 Scope of power of suspension
- 138 Effect of suspension and remission on dismissal
Chapter X: Miscellaneous
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.