The ORISSA SPECIAL ARMED POLICE ACT, 1946

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ODISHA ACT  7 OF 1946
THE ORISSA SPECIAL ARMED POLICE ACT, 1946
[25th October, 1946]
PREAMBLE
An Act to Provide for the Regulation of the Orissa Military Police
Whereas it is expedient to make provision for the better regulation of the Orissa
Armed Police Reserve;
It is hereby enacted as follows:
 (1) This Act may be called the Orissa [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980,
w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police} Act, 1946.
(2) It extends to the whole of the Province of Orissa.
(3) It shall come into force on such day as the Provincial Government may, by
notification, appoint in this behalf.
2.  In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context -
(1) [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed
Police-officer"] means a person appointed to the Orissa Police Force constituted under
Sec. 2 of the Police Act, 1861, (V of 1861) who has signed the statement in the Schedule
to this Act, in accordance with provision of this Act;
(2) "Active Service" means against hostile or groups of persons in the file;
(3) "District Magistrate" includes a Deputy Commissioner , an Agent to the
Provincial Government and a Special Assistant Agent and a Magistrate in charge of a
sub-division;
(4) "Commandant" means person appointed by the Provincial Government to be
a Commandant of [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special
Armed Police] and includes a District Superintendent of Police and an Assistant District
Superintendent of Police in charge of the civil police of a district or of a subdivision;
(5) "Assistant Commandant" means a person appointed by the Provincial
Government to be an Assistant Commandant of [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980,
w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police], and includes an Assistant or Deputy
The Odisha   Gazette
EXTRAORDINARY
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
Short title,
extent and
commen-
cement
Definitions:
NO. 20 DECEMBER ,  1975
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Superintendent of Police not in charge of the civil police of a district or of a subdivision;
and
(6) the expressions, "reason to believe", "criminal force", "assault", "fraudulently"
and "voluntarily causing hurt" have the meanings assigned to them respectively in the
Indian Penal Code, 1860. (XLV of 1860).
 3. (1) Before an Officer appointed to the Orissa Police Force constituted under
Sec. 2 of the Police Act, 1861, is appointed to be a [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980,
w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police] Officer, the statement in the Schedule shall be
read and if necessary explained to him in the presence of Magistrate, Commandant or
Assistant Commandant and shall be signed by him in acknowledgment of its having
been so read to him.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in Section 9 of the Police Act, 1861, (V
of 1861) [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police]
Officer shall not be entitled to be discharged from the Orissa Police Force except in
accordance with the terms of the statement which he has signed under this Act.
 4 - (1) There may be all or any of the following classes of [Substituted by Orissa
Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police] Officers which shall take rank
in the order mentioned, namely:
(i) Sergeant-Major
(ii) Subedars
(iii) Sergeant
(iv) Jamadars
(v) Havildar-Major
(vi) Havildars
(vii) Naiks
(viii) Sepoys including Lance Naiks and such grades in each class as the
Provincial Government may direct.
(2) The expression "Superior officer" in this Act means in relation to any Police-
officer
(a) any officer of a higher class than or of a higher grade in the same class as
himself, and
(b) any Assistant Commandant, Commandant or District Magistrate.
 5 - A [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed
Police] Officer who -
(a) begins, excites, causes or joins in, any mutiny or sedition, or, being-present
at any mutiny or sedition, does not use his utmost endeavours to suppress
it, or, knowing or having reason to believe in the existence of any mutiny, or
of any intention to mutiny, does not without delay give information thereof
to his commanding or other superior officer; or
 Enrolment and
discharge of
Special Armed
Police Officers
Class and
grades of
Special Armed
Police Officers
Class and
grades of
Special
Armed Police
Officers
3
(b) uses, or attempts to use, criminal force to, or commits an assault on, his
superior officer, whether on or off duty; or
(c) shamefully abandons or delivers up any garrison, fortress, post or guard
which is committed to his charge or which it is in his duty to defend; or
(d) directly or indirectly holds correspondence with, or assists or relieves any
person in arms against the State or omits to discover immediately to his
commanding or other superior officer any such correspondence coming to
his knowledge; or who, while on active service -
(e) disobeys the lawful command of his superior officer; or
(f) deserts the service; or
(g) being a sentry , sleeps upon his post, or quits it without being regularly
relieved or without leave; or
(h) quits his guard, piqued, party or patrol without being regularly relieved or
without leave; or
(i)  uses criminal force to, or commits an assault on, any person bringing
provisions or other necessaries to camp or headquarters of forces a
safeguards, or without authority breaks into any house or any other place
for plunder, or plunders, destroys or damages any property of any kind; or
(j) intentionally causes or spreads false alarm in action, camp, garrison or
quarters; shall be punished with transportation for life or for a term of not
less than seven years, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to
fourteen years, or with fine which may extend to three months pay or with
fine to that extent in addition to such sentence or transportation or
imprisonment as the case may be, as may be passed upon him under this
Section.
6 -  A [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed
Police] Officer who -
(a) is in a state of intoxication when on or for any duty or on parade or on the line
of march; or
(b) strikes or attempts to force sentry; or
(c) being in command of a guard, piqued or patrol, refuses to receive any prisoner
duly committed to his charge, or without proper authority releases any
prisoner, or negligently suffers any prisoner to escape; or
(d) being under arrest or in confinement, leaves his arrest or confinement before
he is set at liberty by proper authority; or
(e)  is grossly insubordinate or insolent to his superior officer in the execution
of his office; or
(f) refuses to superintendent or assist in the making of any field-work or other
work of any description ordered to be made either in quarters or in the field;
or
(g) strikes or otherwise ill-uses any [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f.
Punishment
for less heinous
offences
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20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police] Officer subordinate to him in rank or
position; or
(h)  being in command at any post or on the march, and receiving a complaint
that anyone under his command has beaten or otherwise mal treated or
oppressed any person, or has committed any riot or trespass, fails, on proof
of the truth of the complaint, to have due repartation made as far as possible
to the injured person and to report the case to the proper authority; or
(i) designedly or through neglect injures or loses, or fraudulently disposes of
his arms, clothes, tools, equipments, ammunition, accountrements or
[Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed
Police] necessaries, or any such articles entrusted to him or belonging to
any other person; or
(j) malingers or feigns or produces disease or infirmity in himself, or intentionally
delays his cure, or aggravates his disease or infirmity; or
(k) with intent to render himself or any other person unfit for service, voluntarily
causes hurt to himself or any other person; or who while not an active
service-
(l) disobeys the lawful command of his superior officer; or
(m)  plunders, destroys, or damages any property of any kind; or
(n)  being a sentry, steps upon his post or quits it without being regularly relieved
or without leave; or
(o)  deserts the services; shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which
may extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to three month's pay,
or with both.
7 - (1) A District Magistrate, Commandant or Assistant Commandant, or an
officer not being below the rank of Subedar commanding a separate detachment or an
outpost or in temporary command at headquarters of a district during the absence of
the District Magistrate, Commandant and Assistant Commandant, may without a formal
trial award to any [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special
Armed Police] officer who is subject to his authority any of the following punishments
for the commission of any petty offence against discipline which is not otherwise
provided for in this Act, or which is not of a suf ficiently serious nature to call for a
prosecution before a Criminal Court, that is to say -
(a) imprisonment to the extent of seven days in the quarter-guard or such other
place as may be considered suitable, with forfeiture of all pay and allowances during its
continuance;
(b) punishment drill, extra guard, fatigue, or other duty , not exceeding thirty
days in duration, with or without confinement to quarters.
(2) Any one of these punishments may be awarded separately or in combination
with anyone or more of the others.
 Minor
punishment
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 8 -  A person sentenced under this Act to imprisonment for a period not exceeding
three months shall, when he is also dismissed from the Orissa Police Force, be imprisoned
in the nearest or such other jail as the Provincial Government may, by general or special
order, direct; but when he is not also dismissed from that force, he may, if the convicting
officer or District Magistrate, so directs, be confined in the quarter-guard or such other
place as the convicting officer or District Magistrate may consider suitable.
 9 - (1) Nothing in this Act shall prevent any person from being prosecuted
under the Police Act. 1861, or under any order or rule made under that Act or under any
other enactment for the time being in force for any act or omission punishable hereunder,
or from being liable if so prosecuted, to any other or higher penalty than is provided for
that act or omission by this Act.
(2) Provided that no person shall be punished twice for the same offence.
10 - Notwithstanding anything in the Police Act, 1861, or in any other enactment
for the time being in force, the Provincial Government may invest any Police-officer not
being below the rank of Commandant, with the powers of a Magistrate of any class for
the purpose of enquiring into or trying any Offence committed by a [Substituted by
Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police] Officer and punishable
under the Police Act, 1861, or this Act.
11 -  Subject to such rules as the Provincial Government may make in this behalf,
a Commandant or Assistant Commandant of [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980,
w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police] shall have, with respect to Police-officers
appointed to the Orissa Police Force constituted under Sec. 2 of the Police Act, 1861,
who are not [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed
Police] Officers, the same disciplinary powers as a District Superintendent of Police has
with respect to them under Sec. 7 of the said Act.
12 -  A Commandant Or Assistant Commandant of [Substituted by Orissa Act 18
of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police] shall be entitled to all the privileges
which a Police-officer has under Sees. 42 and 43 of the Police Act, 1861, Section 125 of
the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 and any other enactment for the time being in force.
 13 - The Provincial Government may, as regards the [Substituted by Orissa Act
18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police], make such orders and rules
consistent with this Act, as it thinks expedient.
14 - The Bengal Military Police Act, 1892. (V of 1892) is hereby repealed.
Place of
imprisonment
Saving of under
other
prosecution
laws
Conferment of
magisterial power
on Police-officer
Disciplinary and
other powers of
Commandant and
Assistant
Commandant of
Special Armed Police
otherwise than in
respect of Special
Armed Police
Privileges of
Commandant and
Assistant Commandant
of Special Armed Police
as Police-officers
Powers to
make rules
Repeal of
enactment
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Schedule - SCHEDULE
SCHEDULE
STATEMENT
[See Sections 2 and 3]
After you have served for three years in the Orissa [Substituted by Orissa Act
18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police] you may at any tie when not on
active service, apply for your discharge, through the officer to whom you may be
subordinate, to a Commandant of [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.]
[Special Armed Police] or the District Magistrate of the district in which you may be
serving and you will be granted your discharge after two months from the date of your
application unless your discharge would cause the vacancies in the Orissa [Substituted
by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed Police] to exceed one-tenth
of the sanctioned strength; in that case you must remain Until this objection is waived
by competent authority or removed. But when on active service you have no claim to a
discharge, and you must remain and do your duty until the necessity For retaining you
in the Orissa [Substituted by Orissa Act 18 of 1980, w.e.f. 20.12.1980.] [Special Armed
Police] ceases, when you may make your application in the matter hereinbefore prescribed.
In the event of your re-enlistment, after you have been discharged, you will have no
claim to reckon for pension or any other purpose your service previous to your discharge.
(Signature of the Police-officer in acknowledgment of the above having been
read to him) A.B.
Signed in my presence after I had ascertained that A.B. understood the purport
of what he signed CD. Magistrate.
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