PREVENTION OF SEDITIOUS
MEETINGS ACT, 1911 [REPEALED] THE
PREVENTION OF SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT, 1911 [Act
No.10 of 1911] [AS ON
1956] [22nd
March, 1911] 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) This Act
may be called the Prevention of Seditious Meetings Act, 1911. (2) It
extends to the whole of India except[1]
[Territories which immediately before 1stNovember, 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. (1) ??The State Government may, {The words
"with the previous sanction of the G.G.in C." were rep.by the
A.O.1937} 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. (2)?? 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 {The words
"with the previous sanction of the G.G.in C." were rep.by the
A.O.1937} from making any further notifications in respect of the same area
from time to time as it may think fit. (1)
In this Act, the expression "public meeting" means a
meeting which is open to the public or any class or portion of the public. (2)
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. (1)
No public meeting for the furtherance or discussion of any subject
likely to cause disturbance or public excitement, or for the 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. Power of Magistrate to
cause report to be taken.- (2) The District Magistrate or any Magistrate of the
first class authorised 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. Exception.- (3) 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. 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. (1)
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. (2)
Any public meeting which has been prohibited under section 5 shall
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). 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 disturbance or public
excitement to persons then present, may be arrested without warrant and shall
be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or
with fine, or with both. 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. Rep.by the Repealing Act,
1927 (12 of 1927),section.2 and Schedule.
Preamble 1 - PREVENTION OF SEDITIOUS MEETINGS ACT, 1911 PREAMBLE