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Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955

Section 4: Punishment for enforcing social disabilities

Whoever on the ground of "untouchability" enforces against any person any disability with regard to—

(i) access to any shop, public restaurant, hotel or place of public entertainment; or

(ii) the use of any utensils, and other articles kept in any public restaurant, hotel, dharamshala, sarai or musafirkhana for the use of the general public or of [any section thereof]; or

(iii) the practice of any profession or the carrying on of any occupation, trade or business [or employment in any job]; or

(iv) the use of, or access to, any river, stream, spring, well, tank, cistern, water-tap or other watering place, or any bathing ghat, burial or cremation ground, any sanitary convenience, any road, or passage, or any other place of public resort which other members of the public, or [any section thereof], have a right to use or have access to; or

(v) the use of, or access to, any place used for a charitable or a public purpose maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public or [any section thereof]; or

(vi) the enjoyment of any benefit under a charitable trust created for the benefit of the general public or of [any section thereof]; or

(vii) the use of, or access to, any public conveyance; or

(viii) the construction, acquisition, or occupation of any residential premises in any locality, whatsoever; or

(ix) the use of any dharamshala, sarai or musafirkhana which is open to the general public, or to [any section thereof]; or

(x) the observance of any social or religious custom, usage or ceremony or [taking part in, or taking out, any religious, social or cultural procession]; or

(xi) the use of jewellery and finery,

[shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term of not less than one month and not more than six months and also with fine which shall be not less than one hundred rupees and not more than five hundred rupees].

[Explanation.—For the purposes of this section, "enforcement of any disability" includes any discrimination on the ground of "untouchability".]

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.

Supreme Court judgments citing the section 4