LexThe Telangana Devadasis (Prohibition of Dedication) Act, 1988.
Telangana · state statute
Open in Lexace · Ask the AI about this actTHE TELANGANA DEVADASIS (PROHIBITION OF DEDICATION)
ACT, 1988.
(ACT NO. 10 OF 1988)
ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
Sections
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.
3. Dedication as Devadasi to be un-lawful.
4. Marriage of Devadasis.
5. Penalties.
6. Punishment for propagation.
7. Powers to be conferred on Collector.
8. Duties of Collector and other officers.
9. Offences to be tried by Executive Magistrates.
10. Offences under the Act to be cognizable and non-
bailable.
11. Power to make rules.
12. Repeal and saving.
THE TELANGANA DEVADASIS (PROHIBITION OF
DEDICATION) ACT, 1988.1
ACT No. 10 OF 1988.
1. (1) This Act may be called the 2Telangana Devadasis
(Prohibition of Dedication) Act, 1988.
(2) It extends to the whole of the State of 2Telangana.
(3) It shall come into force on such date as the
Government may, by notification in the 2Telangana Gazette,
appoint.
2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) “dedication” means the performance of any act or
ceremony by whatever name called, by which a woman is
dedicated to the service of a Hindu diety, Idol, object of
worship, temple or other religious insti tution or place of
worship and includes tying “tali with jakini” to a woman or
tying a woman by a gar land to a Garuda Khambham,
dhaarana and deeksha;
(b) “Devadasi” means any woman so dedicated by
whatever name called and includes Basavi, Jogini, parvathi,
Mathamma and Thyamma;
(c) “Government” means the State Government;
1. The Andhra Pradesh Dev adasis (Prohibition of Dedication ) Act, 1988
received the assent of t he President on the 25th March, 1988. The said
Act in force in the combined State, as on 02.06.2014, has been adapted
to the State of Telangana, under section 101 of the Andhra Pradesh
Reorganisation Act, 2014 (Central Act 6 of 2014) vide. the Notification
issued in G.O.Ms.No.14, Scheduled Castes Development (POA)
Department, dated 28.04.2016.
2. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.14, Scheduled Castes Development (POA)
Department, dated 28.04.2016.
Short title, extent
and
commencement.
Definitions.
2 [Act No. 10 of 1988]
(d) “notification” means a notification published in the
3Telangana Gazette and the word “notified” shall be
construed accordingly.
(e) “Woman” means female of any age.
3. (1) The dedication of a woman as Devadasi, whether
before or after the commencement of this Act and whether
she has consented to such dedication or not, is hereby
declared unlawful and void; and any woman so dedicated
shall not thereby be deemed to have become incapable of
entering into a valid marriage.
(2) Any custom or usage, prevailing in any Hindu
community such as the Bogum, Kalavanthula, Sani,
Nagavasulu, Devadasi, Kurm apulu, Basavi, Jogini and
Parvathi and the like, that a woman of that com munity who
gives or takes part in any melam (nautch), dancing or music
performance in the course of any p rocession or otherwise is
thereby regarded as having adopted a life of prostitution
and becomes incapable of entering into a valid marriage,
and the performance of any ceremony or act in accordance
with any such custom or usage, whether before or after the
commencement of this Act and whether the woman
concerned has consented to such performance or not, are
hereby declared, unlawful and void.
4. No marriage contracted by a woma n in accordance
with any law , custom or usage shall be invalid and no child
of such marriage shall be considered as illegitimate by
reason only of such woman being a „Devadasi‟.
5. Any person who performs, promotes, takes part in or
abets the performance of any ceremony or act for
3. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.14, Scheduled Castes Development (POA)
Department, dated 28.04.2016.
Penalties.
Dedication as
Devadasi to be
un-lawful.
Marriage of
Devadasis.
[Act No.10 of 1988] 3
dedicating a woman as Devadasi or any ceremony or act
connected therewith shall on conviction be punishable with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may
extend to three years but which shall not be less t han two
years and with fine which may extend to rupees three
thousand but which shall not be less than rupees two
thousand:
Provided that where the person referred to in this
section is a parent or guardian or relative of a woman so
dedicated, he shall on conviction be punishable with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may
extend to five years but which shall not be less than two
years and with fine which may extend to rupees five
thousand but which shall not be less than rupees three
thousand:
Provided further that the woman who is dedicated in
such ceremony or act or in respect of whom such ceremony
or act is performed shall not be punishable.
6. Whoever propogates the practice of dedication of
women as Devadasi shall on conviction be puni shable with
imprisonment of either description for a term which ma y
extend to three years but which shall not be less than on e
year and with fine which may extend to rupees five thousand
but which shall not be less than rupees two thousand.
7. The Government may confer such powers and impose
such duties, on the Collector or any other officer of the
Revenue Department not below the rank of Mandal Revenue
Officer, as may be necessary to ensure that t he provisions
of this Act, are p roperly carried out and may specify the
local limits within which such powers or duties shall be
carried out by such officer.
Punishment for
propagation.
Powers to be
conferred on
Collector.
4 [Act No. 10 of 1988]
8. It shall be the duty of every Collector and other officers
specified under section 7 to inquire whethe r after the
commencement of this Act, the system of Devadasi is being
practiced and if as a re sult of such enquiry any such
practice is found to exist, he shall forthwith take such action
as may be necessary to put an end to such practice.
9. The Government may confer, on an Executive
Magistrate the powers of a Judicial Magistrate of first class
or of the Second Class for the trial of offences under this
Act; and on such conferment of powers, the Executive
Magistrate, on whom the powers are so conferred, shall be
deemed for the purposes of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973 to be a Judicial Magistrate of the First
Class, or of the Second Class, as the case may be.
10. Every offence under this Act shall be cognizable and
non-bailable.
11. (1) The Government may, by notification make rules for
carrying out all or any of the purposes of this Act.
(2) Every rule made under this Act shall immediately
after it is made, be laid before the 4Legislature of the State if
it is in session , and if it i s not in session, in the session
immediately following for a total pe riod of fourteen days
which may be comprised in one session or in two
successive sessions and if, before the expiration of the
session in which it is so laid or the session immediately
following the 4Legislature agrees in making any modification
in the rule or in the annulment of the rule shall, from the date
on which the modification or annulment is notified, have
effect only in such modified form or shall stand annulled, as
4. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.14, Scheduled Castes Development (POA)
Department, dated 28.04.2016.
Duties of Collector
and other officers.
Offences to be
tried by Executive
Magistrates.
Offences under
the Act to be
cognizable and
non-bailable.
Power to make
rules.
Act 2 of 1974.
[Act No.10 of 1988] 5
the case may be; so however that any such modi fication or
annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of
anything previously done under that rule.
12. (1) The Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Devadasis
(Prevention of Dedication) Act, 1947 is hereby repealed.
(2) On such repeal the provisions of sections 8 and 18
of the 5Telangana General Clauses Act, 1891, shall apply.
* * *
5. Substituted by G.O.Ms.No.45, Law (F) Department, dated 01.06.2016.
Repeal and
saving.
Act XXXI of 1947
Act 1 of 1891