Indian Police Act, 1861
An Act for the Regulation of Police.
Preamble.—WHEREAS it is expedient to re-organise the police and to make it a more efficient
- 2 Constitution of the force
- 3 Superintendence in the State Government
- 4 Inspector-General of Police, etc
- 5 Powers of Inspector General Exercise of power
- 6 [Repealed.]
- 7 Appointment, dismissal, etc., of inferior officers
- 8 Certificates to police officers
- 9 Police-officers not to resign without leave or two months’ notice
- 10 Police-officers not to engage in other employment
- 11 [Repealed.]
- 12 Power of Inspector-General to make rules
- 13 Additional police-officer employed at cost of individuals
- 14 Appointment of additional force in the neighbourhood of railway and other works
- 15 Quartering of additional police in disturbed or dangerous districts
- 15A Awarding compensation to sufferers from misconduct of inhabitants or persons interested in land
- 16 Recovery of moneys payable under sections 13, 14, 15 and 15A, and disposal of same when recovered
- 17 Special police-officers
- 18 Powers of special police-officers
- 19 Refusal to serve as special police-officers
- 20 Authority to be exercised by police-officers
- 21 Village police-officers
- 22 Police-officers always on duty and may be employed in, any part of district
- 23 Duties of police-officers
- 24 Police-officers may lay information, etc
- 25 Police-officers to take charge of unclaimed property, and be subject to Magistrates orders as to disposal
- 26 Magistrate may detain property and issue proclamation
- 27 Confiscation of property if no claimant appears
- 28 Persons refusing to deliver up certificate, etc., on ceasing to be police-officers
- 29 Penalties for neglect of duty, etc
- 30 Regulation of public assemblies and processions and licensing of the same
- 30A Powers with regard to assemblies and processions violating conditions of license
- 31 Police to keep order in public roads, etc
- 32 Penalty for disobeying orders issued under last three sections, etc
- 33 Saving of control of Magistrate of district
- 34 Punishment for certain offences on roads, etc
Power of police-officers
- 35 Jurisdiction
- 36 Power to prosecute under other law not affected
- 37 Recovery of penalties and fines imposed by Magistrates
- 41 [Repealed.]
- 42 Limitation of actions
- 43 Plea that act was done under warrant
- 44 Police-officers to keep diary
- 45 State Government may prescribe form of returns
- 46 Scope of Act
- 47 Authority of District Superintendent of Police over village police
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.