THE CENTRAL RESERVE POLICE FORCE ACT, 1949 
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ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS 
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PRELIMINARY 

SECTIONS 

1.  Short title and extent. 
2.  Definitions. 

CONSTITUTION OF THE FORCE 

3.  Constitution of the Force. 
4.  Appointment and powers of superior officers. 
5.  Enrolment. 
6.  Resignation and withdrawal from the Force. 

7.  General duties of members of the Force. 

GENERAL DUTIES OF MEMBERS OF THE FORCE 

SUPERINTENDENCE CONTROL AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE FORCE 

8.  Superintendence, control and administration of the Force. 

OFFENCES AND PUNISHMENTS 

9.  More heinous offences. 
10.  Less heinous offences. 
11.  Minor punishments. 
12.  Place of imprisonment and liability to dismissal on imprisonment. 
13.  Deductions from pay and allowances. 
14.  Collective fines. 

15.  Arrest. 

ARREST 

MISCELLANEOUS 

16.  Powers and duties conferrable and imposable on members of the Force. 
17.  Protection for acts of members of the Force. 
18.  Power to make rules. 
19.  Validation of acts done before commencement of Act. 

THE SCHEDULE. 

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THE CENTRAL RESERVE POLICE FORCE ACT, 1949 

ACT NO. 66 OF 1949 

An Act to provide for the constitution and regulation of an armed Central Reserve Police Force. 

WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the constitution and regulation of an armed Central Reserve 

[28th December, 1949.]  

Police Force;  

It is hereby enacted as follows:— 

PRELIMINARY 

1. Short title and extent.—(1) This Act may be called the Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949.  
(2) It extends to the whole of India 1*** and applies to members of the Force, wherever they may be. 

2. Definitions.—In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,— 

(a) “active duty” means the duty to restore and preserve order in any local area in the event of any 

disturbance therein; 

(b)  “close  arrest”  means  confinement  within  the  Force  or  a  detachment  of  the  Force  or  a  post 

quarter-guard building or tent under charge of a guard; 

(c) “the Force” means the Central Reserve Police Force; 

(d)  “member  of  the  Force”  means  a  person  who  has  been  appointed  to  the  Force  by  the 
Commandant, whether before or after the commencement of this Act, and in sections 1, 3, 6, 7, 16, 
17,  18  and  19,  includes  also  a  person  appointed  to  the  Force  by  the  Central  Government,  whether 
before or after such commencement; 

(e) “open arrest”  means confinement within the precincts of any barracks, lines or camp for the 

time being occupied by any part of the Force; 

(f) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;  

(g)  “subordinate  officer”  means  a  member  of  the  Force  of  the  rank  of  subedar-major,  subedar, 

jemadar or sub-inspector; 

(h)  the  expressions  “assault”,  “criminal  force”,  “fraudulently”,  “reason  to  believe”  and 
“voluntarily causing hurt” have the meanings assigned to them respectively in the Indian Penal Code 
(45 of 1860). 

CONSTITUTION OF THE FORCE 

3.  Constitution  of  the  Force.—(1)  There  shall  continue  to  be  an  armed  force  maintained  by  the 

Central Government and called the Central Reserve Police Force. 

(2) The Force shall be constituted in such manner, and the members of the Force shall receive such 

pay, pension and other remuneration, as may be prescribed. 

4. Appointment and powers of superior officers.— (1) The Central Government may appoint to the 
Force a Commandant and such other persons as it thinks fit to be assistant commandants and company 
officers. 

(2) The Commandant and every other officer so appointed shall have, and may exercise, such powers 

and authority as may be provided by or under this Act. 

5. Enrolment.—Before a person is appointed to be a member of the Force, the statement contained in 
the  recruiting  roll  set  out  in  the  Schedule  shall  be  read  out  and,  if  necessary,  explained  to  him  in  the 
presence of an officer appointed under sub-section (1) of section 4, and shall be signed by such person in 
acknowledgement of its having been so read out to him: 

1. The words “except the State of Hyderabad” omitted by Act 3 of 1951, s. 3 and the Schedule (w.e.f. 1-4-1952). 

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Provided  that  any  person  who  has  for  a  period  of  six  months  served  with  the  Force,  shall,  on 
appointment  to  the  Force  thereafter,  be  deemed  to  be  a  member  of  the  Force  notwithstanding  that  the 
provisions of this section have not been complied with in his case. 

6. Resignation and withdrawal from the Force.—No member of the Force shall be at liberty to— 

(a) resign his appointment during the term of his engagement, except before the expiration of the 

first three months of his service; or 

(b)  withdraw  himself  from  all  or  any  of  the  duties  of  his  appointment,  without  the  previous 
permission in writing of the Commandant or assistant commandant or any other officer authorised by 
the Commandant to grant such permission. 

GENERAL DUTIES OF MEMBERS OF THE FORCE 

7. General duties of members of the Force.—(1) It shall be the duty of every member of the Force 
promptly  to  obey  and  to  execute  all  orders  and  warrants  lawfully  issued  to  him  by  any  competent 
authority,  to  detect  and  bring  offenders  to  justice  and  to  apprehend  all  persons  whom  he  is  legally 
authorised to apprehend and for whose apprehension sufficient grounds exist. 

(2)  Every  member  of  the  Force  shall  be  liable  to  serve  without  and  beyond,  as  well  as  within,  the 

territory of India. 

SUPERINTENDENCE CONTROL AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE FORCE 

8.  Superintendence,  control  and  administration  of  the  Force.—(1)  The  superintendence  of,  and 
control over, the Force shall vest in the Central Government; and the Force shall be administered by the 
Central  Government  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  this  Act  and  of  any  rules  made  thereunder, 
through such officers as the Central Government may from time to time appoint in this behalf. 

(2) The Headquarters of the Force shall be at Neemuch or at such other place as may from time to 

time be specified by the Central Government. 

(3) While on active duty outside its headquarters, the Force shall be subject to the general control and 
direction of such authority or officer as may be prescribed or as may be specially appointed by the Central 
Government in this behalf. 

9. More heinous offences.—Every member of the Force who— 

OFFENCES AND PUNISHMENTS 

(a) begins, excites, causes or conspires to cause or joins in any mutiny, or, being present at any 
mutiny, does not use his utmost endeavour to suppress it, or knowing, or having reason to believe in, 
the existence of any mutiny, or of any intention or conspiracy to mutiny or of any conspiracy against 
the State does not, without delay, give information thereof to his superior officer; or 

(b)  uses,  or  attempts  to  use,  criminal  force  to,  or  commits  an  assault  on,  his  superior  officer, 

whether on or off duty, knowing or having reason to believe him to be such; or 

(c) shamefully abandons or delivers up any post or guard which is committed to his charge, or 

which it is 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  superior  officer  any  such  correspondence 
coming to his knowledge ; or  

who, while on active duty,— 

(e) disobeys the lawful command of his superior officer; or 

(f) deserts the Force; or 

(g)  being  a  sentry,  sleeps  upon  his  post  or  quits  it  without  being  regularly  relieved  or  without 

leave; or  

(h) leaves his commanding officer, or his post or party, to go in search of plunder; or 

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(i) quits his guard, picquet, party or patrol without being regularly relieved or without leave; or 

(j)  uses  criminal  force  to,  or  commits  an  assault  on,  any  person  bringing  provisions  or  other 
necessaries  to  camp  or  quarters,  or  forces  a  safeguard  or  breaks  into  any  house  or  other  place  for 
plunder, or plunders, destroys or damages property of any kind; or 

(k) intentionally causes or spreads a false alarm in action or in camp, garrison or quarters; or 

(l) displays cowardice in the execution of his duty, 

shall  be  punishable  with  transportation  for  life  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 of transportation or imprisonment. 

10. Less heinous offences.—Every member of the Force who— 

(a) is in a state of intoxication when on, or after having been warned for, any duty or on parade or 

on the line of march; or 

(b) strikesor attempts to force any sentry; or 

(c) being in command of a guard, picquet or patrol, refuses to receive any prisoner or person duly 
committed to his charge, or without proper authority releases any person or prisoner placed under his 
charge, or negligently suffers any such prisoner or person to escape; or 

(d)  being  under  arrest  or  in  confinement,  leaves  his  arrest  or  confinement,  before  he  is  set  at 

liberty by lawful authority; or 

(e) is grossly insubordinate or insolvent to his superior officer in the execution of his office; or  

(f)  refuses  to  superintend  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 member of the Force subordinate to him in rank or position; 

or  

(h) designedly or through neglect injuries or loses or fraudulently disposes of his arms, clothes, 
tools, equipments, ammunition or accoutrements, or any such articles entrusted to him or belonging to 
any other person; or 

(i) malingers or feigns or produces disease or infirmity in himself, or intentionally delays his cure, 

or aggravates his disease or infirmity; or 

(j) with intent to render himself or any other person unfit for service, voluntarily causes hurt to 

himself or any other person; or 

(k) does not, when called upon by his superior officer so to do or upon ceasing to be a member of 
the  Force  forthwith  deliver  up,  or  duly  account  for,  all  or  any  arms,  ammunition,  stores, 
accoutrements  or  other  property  issued  or  supplied  to  him  or  in  his  custody  or  possession  as  such 
member; or 

(l)  knowingly  furnishes  a  false  return  or  report  of  the  number  or  state  of  any  men  under  his 
command  or  charge  or  of  any  money,  arms,  ammunition,  clothing,  equipments,  stores  or  other 
property in his charge, whether belonging to such men or to the Government or to any member of, or 
any  person  attached  to  the  Force,  or  who,  through  design  or  culpable  neglect,  omits  or  refuses  to 
make or send any return or report of the matters aforesaid; or 

(m) absents himself without leave, or without sufficient cause over-stays leave granted to him; or 

(n) is guilty of any act or omission which, though not specified in this Act, is prejudicial to good 

order and discipline; or 

(o) contravenes any provision of this Act for which no punishment is expressly provided; or 

who, while not on active duty,— 

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(p) commits any of the offences specified in clauses (e) to (l) (both inclusive) of section 9,  

shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which may 
extend to three months' pay, or with both. 

11.  Minor  punishments.—(1)  The  Commandant  or  any  other  authority  or  officer  as  may  be 
prescribed, may, subject to any rules made under this Act, award in lieu of, or in addition to, suspension 
or  dismissal  any  one  or  more  of  the  following  punishments  to  any  member  of  the  Force  whom  he 
considers to be guilty of disobedience, neglect of duty, or remissness in the discharge of any duty or of 
other misconduct in his capacity as a member of the Force, that is to say,— 

(a) reduction in rank; 

(b)fine of any amount not exceeding one month's pay and allowances; 

(c) confinement to quarters, lines or camp for a term not exceeding one month; 

(d)  confinement  in  the  quarter-guard  for  not  more  than  twenty-eight  days,  with  or  without 

punishment drill or extra guard, fatigue or other duty; and 

(e) removal from any office of distinction or special emolument in the Force. 

(2) Any punishment specified in clause (c) or clause (d) of sub-section (1) may be awarded by any 
gazetted officer when in command of any detachment of the Force away from headquarters, provided he 
is specially authorised in this behalf by the Commandant. 

(3) The assistant commandant, a company officer or a subordinate officer, not being below the rank 
of subedar or inspector, commanding a separate detachment or an outpost, or in temporary command at 
the headquarters of the Force, may, without a formal trial, award to any member of the Force who is for 
the time being subject to his authority any one or more 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 
sufficiently serious nature to require prosecution before a criminal Court, that is to say,— 

(a) confinement for not more than 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, or extra guard, fatigue or other duty, for not more than thirty days, with or 

without confinement to quarters, lines or camp; 

(c)  censure  or  severe  censure:provided  that  this  punishment  may  be  awarded  to  a  subordinate 

officer only by the Commandant. 

(4) A jemadar or sub-inspector who is temporarily in command of a detachment or an outpost may, in 
like manner and for the commission of any like offence, award to any member of the Force for the time 
being  subject  to  his  authority  any  of  the  punishments  specified  in  clause  (b)  of  sub-section  (3)  for  not 
more than fifteen days. 

12.  Place  of  imprisonment  and  liability  to  dismissal  on  imprisonment.—(1)  Every  person 
sentenced under this Act to imprisonment may be dismissed from the Force, and shall further be liable to 
forfeiture of pay, allowance and any other moneys due to him, as well as of any medals and decorations 
received by him. 

(2) Every such person shall, if he is so dismissed, be imprisoned in the prescribed prison, but if he is 
not also dismissed from the Force, he may, if the Court or the Commandant so directs, be confined in the 
quarter-guard or such other place as the Court or the Commandant may consider suitable. 

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13. Deductions from pay and allowances.—The following penal deductions may be made from the 

pay and allowances of a member of the Force by his company officer, that is to say,— 

(a) all pay and allowances for every day of absence either on desertion or without leave and for 
every day of imprisonment awarded by a criminal Court or of confinement awarded under section 11; 

(b)  all  pay  and  allowances  for  every  day  whilst  he  is  in  custody  on  a  charge  for  an  offence  of 

which he is afterwards convicted; 

(c)  all  pay  and  allowances  for  every  day  on  which  he  is  in  hospital  on  account  of  sickness 
certified by the medical officer attending on him at the hospital to have been caused by an offence 
committed by him under this Act; 

(d) all pay and allowances ordered to be forfeited under section 11; and 

(e) such sum as may be ordered by the Commandant or assistant commandant in order to make 
good any expenses caused by the member of the Force, or any loss of, or damage or destruction done 
by him to, any arms, ammunition, equipment, clothing, instruments or decorations belonging to the 
Force or to any buildings or property. 

14. Collective fines.—Whenever any weapon, part of a weapon or ammunition, forming part of the 
equipment of a company or other similar unit of the Force, is lost or stolen the Commandant may, after 
making such inquiry as he thinks fit and subject to such rules as may be prescribed, impose a collective 
fine upon the subordinate officers and men of such unit, or upon so many of them as, in his judgment, 
should be held responsible for such loss or theft.  

ARREST 

15. Arrest.—(1) Any member of the Force who commits any offence specified in section 9 or section 

10 may be placed on open or close arrest by any officer of the Force. 

(2) Where any subordinate officer orders an arrest under sub-section (1), he shall forthwith or at the 
earliest  opportunity  report  the  arrest  to  his  company  or  detachment  commander  who  shall  after 
investigating the case order the release or the continued arrest of the member of the Force arrested.  

MISCELLANEOUS 

16.  Powers  and  duties  conferrable  and  imposable  on  members  of  the  Force.—(1)  The  Central 
Government may, by general or special order, confer or impose upon any member of the force any of the 
powers  or duties conferred or imposed on a police officer of any class or grade by any law for the time 
being in force. 

(2)  Notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  the  Code  of  Criminal  Procedure,  1898  (5  of  1898),  the 
Central  Government  may  invest  the  Commandant  or  an  assistant  commandant  with  the  powers  of  a 
Magistrate of any class for the purpose of inquiring into or trying any offence committed by a member of 
the Force and punishable under this Act, or any offence committed by a member of the Force against the 
person or property of another member: 

Provided that— 

(i) when the offender is on leave or absent from duty, or 

(ii) when the offence is not connected with the offender’s duties as a member of the Force, or 

(iii) when it is a petty offence, even if connected with the offender's duties as a member of the 

Force, 

the offence may, if the prescribed authority within the limits of whose jurisdiction the offence has been 
committed, so directs, be inquired into or tried by an ordinary  criminal Court having jurisdiction in the 
matter. 

17.  Protection  for  acts  of  members  of  the  Force.—(1)  In  any  suit  or  proceeding  against  any 
member of the Force for any act done by him in pursuance of a warrant or order of a competent authority, 

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it shall be lawful for him to plead that such act was done by him under the authority of such warrant or 
order. 

(2) Any such plea may be proved by the production of the warrant or order directing the act, and if it 
is so proved the member of the Force shall thereupon be discharged from liability in respect of the act so 
done by him, notwithstanding any defect in the jurisdiction of the authority which issued such warrant or 
order. 

(3)  Notwithstanding  anything  contained  in  any  other  law  for  the  time  being  in  force,  any  legal 
proceeding (whether civil or criminal) which may lawfully be brought against any member of the Force 
for anything done or intended to be done under the powers conferred by, or in pursuance of, any provision 
of this Act or the rules thereunder, shall be commenced within three months after the act complained of 
was committed and not otherwise, and notice in, writing of such proceeding and of the cause thereof shall 
be  given  to  the  defendant or  his  superior  officer  at  least  one  month  before  the  commencement  of  such 
proceeding. 

18. Power to make rules.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, 

make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 

(2)  In  particular  and  without  prejudice  to  the  generality  of  the  foregoing  power,  such  rules  may 

provide for all or any of the following matters, namely:— 

(a) regulating the classes and grades of, and the pay, pension and other remuneration of, members 

of the Force, and their conditions of service in the Force; 

(b) regulating the powers and duties of officers authorised to exercise any functions by or under 

this Act; 

(c) fixing the period of service for members of the Force; 

(d) regulating the award of minor punishments under section 11, and providing for appeals from, 
or the revision of, orders under that section, or the remission of fines imposed under that section, and 
the remission of deductions made under section 13; 

(e) regulating the several or collective liability of members of the Force in the case of the loss or 

theft of weapons and ammunition; 

(f) for the disposal of criminal cases arising under this Act and for specifying the prison in which 

a person convicted in any such case may be confined.  
1[(3)  Every  rule  made  under  this  Act shall  be  laid,  as soon  as  may  be  after it is made,  before  each 
House of Parliament, 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 the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or 
annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule.] 

19. Validation of acts done before commencement of Act.—Any order made, thing done, or action 
taken by or in relation to a member of the Force, on or after the 15th day of August, 1947, but before the 
commencement of this Act, shall for all purposes be deemed to have been made, done or taken under this 
Act as if this Act were in force on the day on which such order was made, thing was done or action was 
taken 

1. Ins. by Act 4 of 1986, s. 2 and the Schedule (w.e.f. 15-5-1986). 

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THE SCHEDULE 

RECRUITING ROLL 

(See section 5) 

After  you  have  served  in  the  Force  for  such  period  as  the  Central  Government  may  prescribe,  you 
may, at any time when not on active duty, apply for discharge, through the officer to whom you may be 
subordinate, to the Commandant, 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 Force to exceed one-tenth of 
the  sanctioned  strength  in  which  case  you  shall  be  bound  to  remain  until  this  objection  is  waived  or 
removed.  But  when  on  active  duty,  you  shall  have  no  claim  to  a  discharge,  and  you  shall  be  bound  to 
remain to do your duty until the necessity for retaining you in the Force ceases when you may make your 
application in the above mentioned manner: 

Provided that, if you wish to withdraw from the Force, you may submit your resignation at any time 
before the expiration of the first three months of your service, but not afterwards until the completion of 
the period prescribed as aforesaid; the Commandant may either accept your resignation forthwith or at the 
end of three months from the date of its receipt:  

Provided, also, that the Commandant may, if he thinks fit, allow you to resign at any time on your 

giving three months' notice of your wish to do so.  

Signature of the member of the Force in acknowledgement  

of the above having been read out to him. 

Space for impression of the member's left thumb to  

be taken in the presence of the enrolling officer,  

Signed in my presence after I had ascertained that  
the candidate understood the purport of what he signed. 

Place 

Date 

Commandant 

or other authorised enrolling officer 

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