Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act,1989
Act No : 33
Section : PREVENTIVE ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE LAW AND ORDER MA MACHINERY
SECTION 17: PREVENTIVE ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY THE LAW AND ORDER MA MACHINERY
(1) A District Magistrate or a Sub-Divisional Magistrate or any Executive Magistrate or any police officer not below the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police may, on receiving information and after such enquiry as he may think necessary, has reason to believe that a person or a group of persons not belonging to the Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, residing In or frequenting any place within the local limits of his jurisdiction is likely to commit an offence or has threatened to commit any offence under this Act and is of the opinion that there is sufficient ground for proceeding, declare such an area to be an area prone to atrocities and take necessary action for keeping the peace and good behaviour and maintenance of public order and tranquillity and may take preventive action.
(2) The provisions of Chapters VIII, X and XI of the Code shall, so far as may be. apply for purposes of sub-section (1).
(3) The State Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make one or more schemes specking the manner in which the officers referred to in sub-section (1) shall take appropriate action specified in such scheme or schemes to prevent atrocities and to restore the feeling of security amongst the members of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
