The Poisons Act

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The Poisons Act, 1919.ACT NO. 12 OF 1919 1*

[3rd September, 1919.]

An Act to consolidate and amend the law regulating the importation, possession and sale of
poisons 2***.

WHEREAS it is expedient to consolidate and amend th e law regulating the importation,
possession and sale of poisons 3*** ; It is hereby enacted as follows:-

1.Short title and extent.

1. Short title and extent. (1) This Act may be called the Poisons
Act, 1919.3*[(2) It extends to the whole of India:

Provided that it shall not apply to the State of Jammu and
Kashmir except to the extent to which the provision s of this Act relate to the importation into
India of any specified poison.]

2.Power of the State Government to regulate possession for sale and saleof any poison.

2. Power of the State Government to regulate possession for sale and sale of any poison. (1)
4***The State Government may by rule regulate within the whole or any part of the territories
under its administration the possession for sale an d the sale, whether wholesale or retail, of
any specified poison.

(2) In particular, and without prejudice to the gen erality of the foregoing power, such rules
may provide for-

(a) the grant of licences to possess any specified poison for sale, wholesale or retail, and
fixing of the fee
(if any) to be charged for such licences;

(b) the classes of persons to whom alone such licences may be granted;

(d) the maximum quantity of any such poison which may be sold to any one person;

(e) the maintenance by vendors of any such poison of registers of sales, the particulars to be
entered in such registers, and the inspection of the same;

(f) the safe custody of such poisons and the labell ing of the vessels, packages or coverings
in which any such poison is sold or possessed for sale; and
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1. Extended to Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands (w.e.f.
1.10.1967): vide Reg. 8 of 1965, s. 3 & Sch. Extended to and brought into force in Dadra and
Nagar Haveli (w.e.f. 1-7-65) by Reg.
6 of 1963, s. 2 and Sch. I. Extended to the Union territory of
Pondicherry by Act 26 of 1968, S. 3 and Schedule. R epealed in its application to Bellary
District by Mysore Act 14 of 1955.2. The words "thr oughout British India" rep. by the A. O.
1948.3. Subs. by Act 47 of 1958, s. 2, for the former sub-section (2).
4. The words "subject to the control of the G.G. in C." rep. by the
A.O. 1937.24.(g) the inspection and examination of any such poison when possessed for
sale by any such vendor.

3.Power to prohibit importation into India of any poison except underlicence.

3. Power to prohibit importation into India of any poison except under licence. The Central
Government may, by notification in the
Official Gazette, prohibit, except under and in acc ordance with the conditions of a licence,
the importation into 1*[India] 2*[across any custom s frontier 3* defined by the Central
Government] of any specified poison, and may by rule regulate the grant of licences.

4.Power to regulate possession of any poison in certain areas.

4. Power to regulate possession of any poison in certain areas.
(1) The State Government 4* may by rule regulate th e possession of any specified poison in
any local area in which the use of such poison for the purpose of committing murder or
mischief by poisoning cattle appears to it to be of such frequent occurrence as to render
restrictions on the possession thereof desirable.

(2) In making any rule under sub-section (1), the State
Government may direct that any breach thereof shall be punishable with imprisonment for a
term which may extend to one year, or with fine whi ch may extend to one thousand rupees,
or with both, together with confiscation of the poison in respect of which the breach has been
committed, and of the vessels, packages or coverings in which the same is found.

5.Presumption as to specified poisons.

5. Presumption as to specified poisons. Any substan ce specified as a poison in a rule made
or notification issued under this Act shall be deem ed to be a poison for the purposes of this
Act.

6.Penalty for unlawful importation, etc.

6. Penalty for unlawful importation, etc. (1) Whoever--

(a) commits a breach of any rule made under section 2, or

(b) imports 5* without a licence 2*[into 1*[India] across a customs frontier 3* defined by the
Central Government]
any poison the importation of which is for the time being restricted under section 3, or

shall be punishable,--

(i) on a first conviction, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or
with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both, and
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1. Subs. by Act 47 of 1958, s. 3, for "the States".
2. Ins. by the A. O. 1937.3. For definition of the customs frontiers of India, see Gazette of
India, 1955, Pt. II, Sec. 3, p. 1521.4. The words " subject to the control of the G.G. in C." rep.
by the
A.O. 1937.5. The words "into British India" rep. by the A.O. 1937.25.(ii) on a second or
subsequent conviction, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with
fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.

(2) Any poison in respect of which an offence has b een committed under this section,
together with the vessels, packages or coverings in which the same is found, shall be liable
to confiscation.

7.Power to issue search warrants.

7. Power to issue search warrants. (1) the District Magistrate, the Sub-divisional- magistrate
and, in a presidency-town, the
Commissioner of Police, may issue a warrant for the search of any place in which he has
reason to believe or the suspect that any poison is possessed or sold in contravention of this
suspect that any poison is possessed or sold in con travention of this Act or any rule
thereunder, or that any poison liable to confiscation under this Act is kept or concealed.

(2) The person to whom the warrant is directed may enter and search the place in
accordance therewith, and the provisions of the
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898), relating to search-
warrants shall, as far as may be, be deemed to apply to the execution of the warrant.

8.Rules.

8. Rules. (1) In addition to any other power to mak e rules hereinbefore conferred 1*** the
State Government may make rules generally to carry out the purposes and objects of this
Act 2*[except section 3].

(2) Every power to make rules conferred by this Act shall be subject to the condition of the
rules being made after previous publication.

(3) All rules made by the Central Government or by the State
Government under this Act shall be published in the 3*[Official
Gazette] and on such publication shall have effect as if enacted in this Act.

4*[(4) Every rule made by the Central Government un der this Act shall be laid, as soon as
may be after it is made, before each House of Parli ament, while it is in session, for a total
period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive
sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the
successive sessions aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or
both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect
only in such modified form or be of no effect, as t he case may be; so, however, that any
such modification or annulment shall be without pre judice to the validity of anything
previously done under that rule.

(5) Every rule made by the State Government under t his Act shall be laid, as soon as may
be after it is made, before the State
Legislature.]

9.Savings.

9. Savings. (1) Nothing in this Act or in any licen ce granted or rule made thereunder shall
extend to, or interfere with, anything done in good faith in the exercise of his profession as
such by a medical or veterinary practitioner.

(2) Notwithstanding anything hereinbefore contained, the State
Government may 5*** by general or special order dec lare that all or any of the provisions of
this Act 2*[except section 3] shall be
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1. The words "and subject to the control of the G. G. in C." rep. by the A. O. 1937.2. Ins.,
ibid.
3. Subs. by para. 4, ibid., for "Gazette of India o r the local official Gazette, as the case may
be ". Strictly the substitution would read "Officia l Gazette or the Official Gazette, as the case
may be" but the last nine words have been omitted as being obviously redundant.
4. Ins. by Act 4 of 1986, S. 2 and Sch. (w.e.f. 15.5.1986).
5. The words "in its discretion" rep., ibid.

26.deemed not to apply to any article or class of a rticles of commerce specified in such
order, or to any poison or class of poisons used for any purpose so specified.

(3) The authority on which any power to make rules under this Act is conferred may, by
general or special order, either wholly or partially--

(a) exempt from the operation of any such rules, or

(b) exclude from the scope of the exemption provided by sub-section (1),

any person or class of persons either generally or in respect of any poisons specified in the
order.

10.Repeal of Act 1 of 1904.10. [Repeal of Act 1 of 1904.] Rep. by the Repealing Act,
1927.(12 of 1927).

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