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Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act,
1911
Short Title: THE PREVENTION OF SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT, 1911
Act No. of Year: ACT NO. 10 OF 1911
Enactment Date: 22nd March 1911
Act Objective: An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating
to the prevention of public meetings likely to promote sedition or to
cause a disturbance of public tranquillity. WHEREAS it is expedient
to consolidate and amend the law relating to the prevention of public
meetings likely to promote sedition or to cause a disturbance of public
tranquillity; It is hereby enacted as follows:-
1. Short title and extent:
(1) This Act may be called the Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act,
1911.
(2) It extends to the whole of India except 1*[the territories which,
immediately before the 1st November, 1956, were comprised in Part B
States], but shall have operation only in such States or parts of States
as the State Government may from time to time notify in the Official
Gazette.
2.Power of State Government to notify proclaimed areas:
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The State Government may, 2* * * by notification in the Official
Gazette, declare the whole or any part of a State, in which this
Act is for the time being in operation, to be a proclaimed area.
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A notification made under sub-section (1) shall not remain
in force for more than six months, but nothing in this sub-section
shall be deemed to prevent the State Government 2* * * from
making any further notifications in respect of the same area
from time to time as it may think fit.
3.Definition:
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In this Act, the expression "public meeting" means a meeting,
which is open to the public or any class or portion of the public.
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A meeting may be a public meeting notwithstanding that it is
held in a private place and notwithstanding that admission thereto
may have been restricted by ticket or otherwise.
4.Notice to be given of public meetings:
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No public meeting for the furtherance or discussion of any
subject likely to cause disturbance or public excitement, or
for the ----------------------------------------------------------------------1
Subs. by the Adaptation of Laws (No. 2) Order, 1956, for "Part
B States ". 2. The words "with the previous sanction of the
G. G. in C." rep. by the A. O. 1937. -----------------------------------------------------------------------634
exhibition or distribution of any writing or printed matter
relating to any such subject, shall be held in any proclaimed
area- (a) unless written notice of the intention to hold such
meeting and of the time and place of such meeting has been given
to the District Magistrate or the Commissioner of Police, as
the case may be, at least three days previously; or (b) unless
permission to hold such meeting has been obtained in writing
from the District Magistrate or the Commissioner of Police,
as the case may be.
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Power of Magistrate to cause report to be taken. The District
Magistrate or any Magistrate of the first class authorized by
the District Magistrate in this behalf may, by order in writing,
depute one or more police-officers, not being below the rank
of head constable, or other persons, to attend any such meeting
for the purpose of causing a report to be taken of the proceedings.
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Exception: Nothing in this section shall apply to any public
meeting held under any statutory or other express legal authority
or to public meetings convened by a Sheriff or to any public
meetings or class of public meetings exempted for that purpose
by the State Government by general or special order.
5. Power prohibit public meetings: The District Magistrate or
the Commissioner of Police, as the case may be, may at any time, by
order in writing, of which public notice shall forthwith be given, prohibit
any public meeting in a proclaimed area if, in his opinion, such meeting
is likely to promote sedition or disaffection or to cause a disturbance
of the public tranquillity.
6. Penalties:
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Any person concerned in the promotion or conduct of a public
meeting held in a proclaimed area contrary to the provisions
of section 4 shall be punished with imprisonment for a term
which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
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Any public meeting which has been prohibited under section
5shall be deemed to be an unlawful assembly within the meaning
of Chapter VIII of the Indian Penal Code(45 of 1860) and of
Chapter IX of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898).
7. Penalty for delivery of speeches in public places: Whoever,
in a proclaimed area, in a public place or a place of public resort,
otherwise than at a public meeting held in accordance with, or exempted
from, the provisions of section 4, without the permission in writing
of the Magistrate of the district or of the Commissioner of Police,
as the case may be, previously obtained, delivers any lecture, address
or speech on any subject likely to cause disturbance635or public excitement
to persons then present, may be arrested with out warrant and shall
be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months,
or with fine, or with both.
8. Cognizance of offences: No Court inferior to that of a Presidency
Magistrate or of a Magistrate of the first class or Sub-divisional Magistrate
shall try any offence against this Act.
9. Repeals: Rep. by the Repealing Act, 1927 (12 of 1927)
and s. 2 Sch.
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