The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ritual and Practice of Burying Alive of a Person Act, 2002

 
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The Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ritual and Practice of Burying Alive of a 
Person Act, 2002 
 
Act 44 of 2002 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Keyword(s): 
Bury, Place of Worship, Ritual and Practice 
 
-- 
The following Act of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly received the assent of the 
Governor on the 15th November 2002 and is hereby published for general information:- 
ACT No. ej OF 2002. 
Air Act m prohihlt /he ritirtrl ancipl-irc.fic.e qf htr~ing (/live of (1 person irt tlte Stcrte of 
Tft~tziI Ntidu. 
Whereas the act of burying alive of a person in the place of worship or in its precincts in 
the State of Tamil Nadu endangers the human life and personal safety of others; I 
P,nd flhereas it is expedient to prohibit such act of burying alive of a person; 
i Br it enacted by the Legislative Assenlbly of the State of 'Tamil Nadu in the Fifty-third 
Year of the Republic of India as follows:- 
1. ( 1) This Act may be called the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Ritual and Practice of Burying Short title and 
Alive of a Person Act, 2002. commence; 
ment. 
(2) It shall come into force at once. 
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,- 
(a) "bury" mean; an6 mcludes to cover out of sight, hide or conceal, in or under the 
ground, a person of any age, even momentarily. 
(b) "place of worship"includes a place by whatever name known and used as a place 
of prayer or worship and dedicated to or for the benefit of, or used by, any religion, community 
or any section thereof, as a place of prayer or religious worship. 
(c) "precincts" in relation to place of worship includes all lands and buildings near any 
place of worship whether belonging to the place of worship or not, which are ordinarily used 
for purposes connected with the worship whether conducted inside or outside such place of 
worship and in particular the backyard and front yard of such place of worship by whatever 
name called. 
3. No person shall,- 
(1) bury a person alive; 
(2) allow himself to be buried alive; 
in any place of worship or its precincts as a ritual or practice for the purpose of, or with the 
intention of, propitiating any deity or otherwise. 
4. No person shall,-- 
(a) officiate or offer to officiate at; or 
(b) perform or offer to perform; or 
(c) serve, assist or participate or offer to serve, assist or participate in; 
burying alive of a person as a ritual or practice in any place of worship or its precincts for the 
purpose of, or with the intention of, piopitiating any deity or otherwise. 
5. No person shall knowingly allow the burying alive of a pel so11 as a ritual or practice in 
any place which,-.-- 
(a) is situated in any place of worship or its precincts; and 
(b) is in his possession or under his control. 
I 
Definitions. 
Burying alive of 
person 
prohibited. 
Officiating etc. 
of burying 
alive of 
person 
prohibited. 
Places not to be 
allowed or to 
be used for 
hurying alive 
of person. 
6. Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 3. 4 or 5 shall be punt5hed 1- 1111 
imprisonment For a term uhich may extend to three years or w~th fine which may cutcnd to tivc 
thousand rupees or wlth both. 
ah st men^ of 7. Whoever abets the co~i~niission of the acts proi~ibited under section 3,4 ol 5 shall be 
acts proht- punished wlth imp,, viment for a tern1 which may extend to th~ec years or \t~th line ~LII~CII may 
bltctl under extend t~, Ave thousand rupees or with both. 
scctlon 3,4 or 
5. 
Attctnpt to 8. Whoever attempts tocommit the acts prohib~ted under sectiot13,4 or 5 shall be punished 
commll the wit11 imprisonment for a term whrch tnay extend to three years or wrth tine wllrcll may extend 
acts proll'- to five thousand rupees or with both. bltcd under 
section 3,4 or 
5. 
Operation of 9. The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, any other law 
other laws for the time being in force. 
not affected. 
Power to make 10. (1) The State Gover~unent may make n~les for the purpose of carrying out the 
rules. provisions of this Act. 
(2) Every rule made under this Act shall as soon as possil>le after it is made be placed 
oil the table of the Legislative Assen~bly and if before the expiry of the session in which it is 
so placed or the next session, the Assembly makes any modification in any such rule or the 
Assembly decides that the rule should not be made, the rule shall thereafter have effect only in 
such modified form, or be of no effect, as the case may be, so, however, that my such 
modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously 
done under that rule. 
(By order of the Governor) 
A. KR~S~INANKU'TTY NAIR, 
Secretary to Govrrnnient, 
Law Depurt~~ient. 

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