The Central Reserve Police Force Act, 1949.
1* Act No 66 of 1949 dated 28th December, 1949.
In exercise of the powers conferred by the Dominion Legislature, 
assent given by the G.G. on the 28th December, 1949 and published as Act LXVI 
of 1949 in the Gazette of India Extra-ordinary, part-IV on 30th December 1949, 
the Central Government hereby makes the following Act, namely :-

1. Title : 
(1) This Act may be called the Central Reserve Police Force Act, 
1949.
(2) It extends to the whole of India, and applies to member 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 section
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, Jemader or Sub-Inspector;
(h) the expressions “assault” , ”criminal force”,
”fraudulently”, ”reason to believe” and “voluntarily causing hurt” 
have the meaning assigned to them respectively in the Indian Penal 
Code.

1. Published in the Gazette of India Extraordinary, part-IV as Act LXVI of 1949, 
on 30th December, 1949 and updated upto 31.12.1996.
Latest Notification No. And Date Section 8(2) of CRPF Act,1949 
of publication amended vide SO-1673 
Dated 29.7.2000.

(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. (1) The Central Government may appoint to the Force a
Commandant and such other persons as it thinks fit to the Assistant 
Commandant 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. 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;
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 provisions of this section 
have not been complied with in his case. 

6. 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 authorized by 
the Commandant to grant such permission.

7. (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 the 
any competent authority, to detect and bring offenders to justice and to 
apprehend all persons whom he is legally authorized to apprehend and for 
whose apprehend and for 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.

8. (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 there under, 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 New Delhi* or at such 
other place as may from time to time be specified by the Central
Government.
* amended vide SO 1673 dated 29/7/2K.
(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. Every member of the force who-
(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 
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
(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 campo or quarters, of 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 imprisonment for a term which 
may extend to fourteen 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. 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) strikes or attempts to force any sentry; or
(c) being in command of a guard, piquet or patrol, refuses to 
receive any prisoner or person 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 in-subordinate or insolent to his superior officer 
in the execution of his office ; or
(f) refuses to superintend or assist in the making of any fieldwork 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 injures or loses or
fraudulently disposes of his arms, clothes, tools, equipments, ammunition 
or accountrement 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, accountrements 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 
(m) person attached to the force or who through design or 
culpable neglect, omit, or refuses to make or send any return or report of 
the matters aforesaid; or
(n) absent himself without leave, or without sufficient cause 
overstays leave granted to him: or
(o) is guilty of any act or omission which, though not specified 
in this Act, is prejudicial to good order and discipline: or
(p) contravenes any provision of this Act for which no
punishment is expressly provided: or
who, while not on active duty:-
(q) 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. (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 considered 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 (b ) of 
sub-section (l) 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 serous nature to 
require prosecution before a Crimnal Court that is to say:-
(a) confinement for not more that seven days in the
quarterguard 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.
(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 punishment specified in 
clause (b) of sub-section (3) for not more than fifteen days.
 

12. (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 of the Commandant so directs, be confined in the
quarterguard or such other place as the court or the Commandant may 
consider suitable.

13. 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 Crimnal 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 allowance 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 that Act;
(d) all pay and allowances ordered to be forfeit ed 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. Whenever any weapon, part of a weapon or ammunitions, 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.

16. (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 (1973) 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 member of the force, or
(iii) when it is a petty offence, even if connected with the
offender’s duties as 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 Crimnal Court having jurisdiction in the matter. 

17. (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, 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 warrantor 
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 warrantor order. 
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time 
being in force, any legal proceeding (whether civil or crimnal) which may 
lawfully be brought against any member of the force for anything done or 
intended to be d0neunder the powers conferred by, or in pursuance or , 
any provision of this Act or the rules there under, 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 th4e cause 
thereof shall be given to the defendant or his superior officer at least one 
month before the commencement of such proceeding.

18. (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, member of the force, and their
conditions of service in the force;
(b) regulating the powers and duties of officers authorized to
exercise any function by or under this Act;
(c) fixing the period of service for members of the force;
(d) regulating the award of minor punishment 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 member 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.
(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 that the rule should not be made, the rule shall 
thereafter have effect only in such modified from or be of no effect, as the 
cases may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall 
be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that 
rule.
(Inserted vide GSR-764 (E) dtd 15.5.86)

19. 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.

After youhave served in theFore for such period as the Central 
Government may prescribe, you mayat anytime when not on active duty, 
applyfor discharge, throughthe 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 waivbed 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 Fore, you may submit 
your resignation at any time before the expiration of the first three months of 
your service, but, not afterwards until he 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.
Signature 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.

Commandant Or other authorised enrolling officer.

15. (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 (l), 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.