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Wednesday, 11 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 · Chapter XI: Maintenance Of Public Order And Tranquillity

Section 149 BNSS: Use of armed forces to disperse assembly

Corresponding CrPC
Section 130 CrPC

Bare Act text

(1) If any assembly referred to in sub-section (1) of section 148 cannot otherwise be dispersed, and it is necessary for the public security that it should be dispersed, the District Magistrate or any other Executive Magistrate authorised by him, who is present, may cause it to be dispersed by the armed forces.

(2) Such Magistrate may require any officer in command of any group of persons belonging to the armed forces to disperse the assembly with the help of the armed forces under his command, and to arrest and confine such persons forming part of it as the Executive Magistrate may direct, or as it may be necessary to arrest and confine in order to disperse the assembly or to have them punished according to law.

(3) Every such officer of the armed forces shall obey such requisition in such manner as he thinks fit, but in so doing he shall use as little force, and do as little injury to person and property, as may be consistent with dispersing the assembly and arresting and detaining such persons.

Text as enacted in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (Act No. 46 of 2023), in force from 1 July 2024. Source: India Code, Government of India.

In simple words

Allows the District Magistrate or an authorised Executive Magistrate present to cause an assembly to be dispersed by the armed forces if it cannot otherwise be dispersed and public security requires it. The Magistrate may require the commanding officer to disperse it and to arrest and confine persons.

Chapter XI: Maintenance Of Public Order And Tranquillity

  1. 148 Dispersal of assembly by use of civil force
  2. 149 Use of armed forces to disperse assembly
  3. 150 Power of certain armed force officers to disperse assembly
  4. 151 Protection against prosecution for acts done under sections 148, 149 and 150
  5. 152 Conditional order for removal of nuisance
  6. 153 Service or notification of order
  7. 154 Person to whom order is addressed to obey or show cause
  8. 155 Penalty for failure to comply with section 154
  9. 156 Procedure where existence of public right is denied
  10. 157 Procedure where person against whom order is made under section 152 appears to show-cause
  11. 158 Power of Magistrate to direct local investigation and examination of an expert
  12. 159 Power of Magistrate to furnish written instructions, etc
  13. 160 Procedure on order being made absolute and consequences of disobedience
  14. 161 Injunction pending inquiry
  15. 162 Magistrate may prohibit repetition or Continuance of public nuisance
  16. 163 Power to issue order in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger
  17. 164 Procedure where dispute concerning land or water is likely to cause breach of peace
  18. 165 Power to attach subject of dispute and to appoint receiver
  19. 166 Dispute concerning right of use of land or water
  20. 167 Local inquiry
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