The Maharashtra Media Persons and Media Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2017

2019 : Mah. XXIX]  1 
THE MAHARASHTRA MEDIA PERSONS AND MEDIA 
INSTITUTIONS (PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE AND 
DAMAGE OR LOSS TO PROPERTY) ACT, 2017 
[Text as on 16th May 2023] 
________________ 
CONTENTS 
 
PREAMBLE. 
SECTIONS. 
 
 1. Short title and extent. 
 2. Definitions.                                                                                                                
 3. Prohibition of violence. 
 4. Penalty.  
 5. Investigation of offence. 
 6. Cognizance of offence. 
 7. Liabilities to pay compensation for damage or loss caused to property. 
 8. Punishment for misuse of provisions contained in this Act. 
 9. Act not in derogation of any other law. 
  
2  The Maharashtra Media Persons and Media Institutions [2019 : Mah. XXIX 
(Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2017 
2019 : Mah. XXIX] The Maharashtra Media Person and Media Institutions 3 
(Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2017 
MAHARASHTRA ACT No. XXIX OF 20191 
[THE MAHARASHTRA MEDIA PERSONS AND MEDIA INSTITUTIONS (PREVENTION OF  
VIOLENCE AND DAMAGE OR LOSS TO PROPERTY) ACT, 2017.] 
[This Act is received the assent of the President on the 28th October 2019 ; assent first published 
in the Maharashtra Government Gazette, Part VIII, on the 8th November 2019.] 
An Act to provide for the prevention of violence against Media  
Persons while carrying out their duties as Media Persons and  
prevention of damage or loss of property of Media Persons or  
Media Institutions in the State of Maharashtra and for matters  
connected therewith or incidental thereto.  
WHEREAS acts of violence causing injury or danger to life of Media Persons and damage or loss 
to the property of Media Persons or Media Institutions are creating unrest in the State ;  
AND WHEREAS it has become n ecessary to provide for the prevention of violence against 
Media Persons and prevention of damage or loss of property of Media Persons or Media Institutions 
from such violent activities,  and for the matters connected therewith or incidental thereto; it is hereby 
enacted in the Sixty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows :––  
1.  Short title and extent. — (1) This Act may be called the Maharashtra Media Persons and 
Media Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2017.  
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Maharashtra.  
2.  Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires––  
(a) ―Media Institution‖ includes any registered Newspaper Establishment, News Channel 
Establishment, News-based Electronic Media Establishment or News Station Establishment ;  
(b) ―Media Person‖ means a person whose principal avocation is that of a journalist and 
who is employed as a journalist, either on regular or contract basis, in, or in relation to, one or 
more media institutions and includes an Editor, Sub -Editor, News Edito r, Reporter, 
Correspondent, Cartoonist, News-Photographer, Television Cameraman, Leader -Writer, Feature-
Writer, Copy-tester and Proof-Reader, but does not include any such person who––  
(i) is employed mainly in a managerial or administrative capacity ; or  
(ii) being employed in a supervisory capacity, performs, either by the nature of the 
duties attached to his office or by reason of the powers vested in him, functions mainly of a 
managerial nature ;  
(c) ―Newspaper‖ means any printed or online periodical  work containing public news or 
comments on public news and includes such other class of printed or periodical work as may, 
from time to time, be notified in this behalf by the Central Government in the Official Gazette, 
under the Journalist and other News paper Employees (Conditions of Service) and Miscellaneous 
Provisions Act, 1955 (45 of 1955) ;  
(d) ―News Channel‖ means a television channel which is registered as news channel with 
the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India ;  
(e) ―Newspaper Establishments‖ means an establishment under the control of any person or 
body of persons, whether incorporated or not, for the production or publication of one or more 
newspapers or for conducting any news agency or syndicate.  
Explanation.—For the purposes of this clause,––  
                                                   
1  For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Maharashtra Government Gazette , 2017, Part V -A, Extraordinary No. 30 , 
dated 7th April 2017, pages 1-4. 
4  The Maharashtra Media Persons and Media Institutions [2019 : Mah. XXIX 
(Prevention of Violence and Damage or Loss to Property) Act, 2017 
(i) different departments, branches and centres of newspaper establishments shall be 
treated as parts thereof ;  
(ii) a printing press shall be deemed to be a newspaper establishment if the principal 
business thereof is to print newspaper; 
(f) ―News -based Electronic Media‖ means any news -based electronic media that uses 
electronic devices for the end user to access the content ;  
(g) ―News Station‖ means a television or radio station which produces and broadcasts news;  
(h) ―offender‖ means any person, who either by himself or as a member or leader of a group 
of persons or organization commits or attempts to commit or abets or instigates or provokes the 
commission of violence under this Act ;  
(i) ―property‖ means any property , movable or immovable or equipment or machinery 
owned by or in possession of any Media Person or Media Institution ;  
(j) ―violence‖ means an act, which causes or may cause any harm, injury or endangering the 
life of any Media Person during the discharge of his duty as a Media Person, or causing damage 
or loss to the property belonging to any Media Person or Media Institution.  
3.  Prohibition of violence. — Any act of violence against a Media Person or damage or loss to 
the property of Media Person or Media Institution shall be prohibited.  
4.  Penalty.— Any offender, who commits or attempts to commit or abets or instigates or 
provokes the commission of any act of violence in contravention of the provisions of section 3, shall be 
punished with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, wh ich may extend to fifty 
thousand rupees, or with both.  
5.  Investigation of offence. — Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal 
Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) , a police officer not below the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police 
shall investigate any offence under this Act.  
6.  Cognizance of offence. — Any offence committed under this Act, shall be cognizable and 
non-bailable and triable by the Court of Judicial Magistrate of the First Class.  
7.  Liabilities to pay compensation for damage or loss caused to property.— (1) In addition to 
the punishment specified in section 4, the offender shall be liable to pay compensation for damage or 
loss caused to the property of Media Person or Media Institution, as may be determined by the Court 
referred to in section 6 and he shall also be liable to reimburse medical expenditure incurred by the 
Media Person.  
(2) If, any person upon conviction under this Act has not paid the compensation and medical 
expenditure imposed under sub -section ( 1), the same s hall be recovered as if it were arrears of land 
revenue.  
8.  Punishment for misuse of provisions contained in this Act. — (1) Whoever, being a Media 
Person wilfully misuses the provisions of this Act or uses the same for malicious purposes or makes a 
false complaint under this Act shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three years, 
or with fine, which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both.  
(2) The Media Person, after conviction under sub -section ( 1), shall not be entitled for  any 
Government benefit as a Media Person, and his accreditation card, if any, shall be permanently 
revoked. 
9.  Act not in derogation of any other law. — The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to, 
and not in derogation of, the provisions of any other law for the time being in force. 
 
 

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