Official Secrets Act : Search warrants. Indian Bare Acts :

Official Secrets Act,1923

Act No : 19

Section : Search warrants.

11. Search warrants. (1) If a Presidency Magistrate, Magistrate of the first class or Sub-divisional Magistrate is satisfied by information on oath that there is reasonable ground for suspecting that an offence under this Act has been or is about to be committed, he may grant a search warrant authorising any police-officer named therein, not being below the rank of an officer in charge of a police- station, to enter at any time any premises or place named in the warrant, if necessary, by force, and to search the premises or place and every person found therein, and to seize any sketch, plan, model, article, note or document. or anything of a like nature, or anything which is evidence of an offence under this Act having been or being about to be committed which he may find on the premises or place or any such person, and with regard to or in connection with which he has reasonable ground for suspecting that an offence under this Act has been or is about to be committed. (2)Where it appears to a police-officer, not being below the rank of Superintendent, that the case is one of great emergency, and that in the interests of the State immediate action is necessary, he may by a written order under his hand give to any police-officer the like authority as may be given by the warrant of a Magistrate under this section. (3)Where action has been taken by a police-officer under sub- section (2) he shall, as soon as may be, report such action, in a presidency-town to the Chief Presidency Magistrate, and outside such town to the District or Sub-divisional Magistrate.