The ASSAM RHINOCEROS PRESERVATION' ACT, 1954

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AS.SAM· .ACT XX O~ 1954 
THE ASSAM "RHINOCEROS PRESERVATION ' ACT,. ·1954 
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(Passed by the Assembly) 
• ·(>Receiv.ed' t~e assent qf the Governor - of Assam on thf:' ;!8th ~y, 1!li>4)-: 
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[Published in the A:rsam Gazette, dated the 9th June , 1964] 
An 
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Act for the Preservation. of Rhinoceros 
Pream.ble.-WHERE As·it is • expeeient to" ' provipe . foe ~ pr'?s~rvation. 9f, 
Rhinoceros ; , '' 
It is hereby enacted as follows :- • l 
1. ·sho.rt title, extent and co:mmence:ment,7(1) This Act• may :lae called 
Assam Rpinoceros . Preservation Act, 1 J54. \ 
\2)' It extends to the whole of Assam. 
(3) It shall ' come into force on such date as the State · Gevermnent: 
may, by notification in the official Gazette app0int. 
2. KiUing, injuring and capture of Rhinoceros p1iohibited.-:-No persoru 
shall kill,, injur·e or captt1re, or attempt to ~kill\ injurn or capture anyr R·hinocer~i1> 
.unless so ·permitted by the State Government by a·license granted or an order 
made under this Act -. 
Provided that , a person will: be entitle.cl to kill or· injuve a R~inoceros in 
~ ~ defence ·'' of himself or sO~e ·other ·person. , ~ 
Explanations.- The onus of ·pt.oving the right -of -private,._ defenc_e shaU lie 
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rm the person ; claiming it·.. _ 
3. Right&o£ ~ov.ernn\.ent with ,resgect to ce.rt,ain Rhinp~e.ros. a,qd their 
horns .. ;..,.-Evcr~ t Rhin0ceml>s ta:)!>.tured. aind· the 4orn .. or, ca.rc~s~ . or , a,ny, part of 
. every Rhinoaero~ kilied in ,, contravention . of this, Act or any conditiqn of a 
licens:e-r or or.der· issued under thi s. Act shall · be the property of ~he Stat~ . Goverq-
ment, . . . · 
· 4 ~ , ~~w.er . t.q grant license , to kill, injure , an~ capture Rhinocero.s._:(l .) 
The State Gov_efnment ma¥, subject ~o such . n.i.le,s as . may. be framed '. in thi.S, 
behalf, grant licenses or issue orders to kill, or capture Rhinoceros in such ·p!lrt · 
or parts of the State as may be specified i_n the license or order. · '· · 
(2) No such license or order shaU be issued· unless the State · Go vernment 
· satisfied that-
(a) any Rhinoceros has become a cause of immine:nt danger to human tife, 
or 
(b) sµch Rhinoceros is required for any Zoological, Scientific, or other 
special purpose as may be decided by Government. ~ 
5. Penalty.-(1) Whoever, in con,travention of Section 2; kills.; injures or 
captures or · at.tempts to kill, injure or capture any Rhinoceros, shall be 
punished with fine· of one thousand rupees ,and with imprisonment which may ·· 
extend to . one year, aa9 whoever contravenes ' ~ny condition contained in a 
license granted or order made under this Act shall be punished with fine .which 
may extent to one thousand rupees. , · . . . 
. (2) Any weapon or. _c;ontrivan~e used for ·the commission of.an offence under 
thts Act shall be ·hable to confiscation. . , . " 
6.- Cognizance 0£ offence.'-No court inferior to ' that of a · Magistrate of 
the fir~t class shall try any offence punishaqle under this • Act Pf any 
thereunder. ' ' 
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7.' Power to arrest without warrant ancl. · seize .;e~pon.-(1) 
Any .offic.er of the Police DepartmeI).t not below . the rank .of an ~ssi~tant Sub- , 
lQspector of Police or any Forest Officer , not below the rank ·Of an Assistant 
'Forester may arresf without warrant ~. from a Magisti:ate ·,. any p~rson ,-killing, 
injuring or captuting or attempting to kill, injure or capture any Rhinoceros in 
contravention of 'the provisions of this Act and seize any weapon ·or contrivance 
used for the purpose and also the :. carcass or any part th ereof of any Rhinoceros 
killed ' in contravention of this Act. · "' 
· (2) Every officer making an arrest , und er sub -,'!ection (1) .shall produce the 
perfon arrested before the nearest Magistrate having jurisdiction to deal with . 
ti:)~ c~se within a period of twenty-four 'hours of such arrest · excluding the time 
necessary for the journ ey from the place of arr est to the Court of the Magisbrate, 
with a report containin g fuJl parti culars of the person arr ested aqd the cirCUffi>·,-
stances under which the arrest was effected . . 
. 8. Power t9 search by Forest Officers. - Any Forest Office r; not below the 
rank of an Assistant Forester who has reason to b elieve from p1~ rsonal knowledge 
or from information received from· any ~ person th at any offence against this Ac 
can be traced on the search of any building · or enclosed place- ma)'.;, on obt ain­
ing a warrant from a Magistrat e ente~ upon . and search such b~ilding or enclosed 
place and seize such instrumerits, implements or Lany other .thing ' .which may 
furnish evidence of the commission of the offence. -
9. Power to make rules.-(1) The State Government may, by notification 
· in the official Gazette, mak e rules for carryin g out the purposes of this Act. 
(2) In particular, and without Rrejudice to. the generality of the foregoing 
power, such rules may provide for all o: any of the follO\ying matters, namely:-
(a) regulating the grant and .renewal of licenses under this Act ·; 
. (b) the fees, if any, to be charged on such gran_t and r~,n ~ wal ·; · . 
: ; ·cc) the time during which such licenses shallbe 'in forr.e·; and 
· (d) conditions (ifany) on which litepse shall be grante8 or order made. 
10 .. Reneal. ·-The provisions in the Assam Forest Reg~lations (Regulation 
VII of 1891) and the Wild Birds and Animals Pro tection Act , 1912 (Act VIII of 
191-2) or any other law for the time being in forc e sp far as they relate to ·the 
killing , injurillg or ca.pturing qr atteri1pts at killing, injuring or. c;.apforing of any_ 
RhinocE:·ros qr are 'ot.herwis" (epugn ant to the proviSions of this Ad are hereby 1_ 
repealed. , " ,. '-' . 1 
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A.G,P. (Leg.) No.57 /54-1000-12·5·1955. 
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