Handling Public Nuisance in India

Provisions under Cr.P.C [Sec 133 to 143]

133. Conditional order for removal of nuisance

(1) Whenever a District Magistrate or a Sub-divisional Magistrate or any other Executive Magistrate specially empowered in this behalf by the State Government on receiving the report of a police officer or other information and on taking such evidence (if any) as he thinks fit, considers.-
(a)that any unlawful obstruction or nuisance should be removed from any public place or from any way, river or channel which is or may be lawfully used by the public; or
(b)that the conduct of any trade or occupation or the keeping of any goods or merchandise; is injurious to the health or physical comfort of the community, and that in consequence such trade or occupation should be prohibited or regulated or such goods or merchandise should be removed or the keeping thereof regulated: or
(c)that the construction of any building, or the disposal of any substance, as is likely to occasion conflagration or explosion, should be prevented or stopped; or
(d)that any building, tent or structure, or any tree is in such a condition that it is likely to fall and thereby cause injury to persons living or carrying on business in the neighbourhood or passing by, and that in consequence the removal, repair or support of such building, tent or structure, or the removal or support of such tree, is necessary; or
(e)that any tank, well or excavation adjacent to any such way or public place should be fenced in such manner as to prevent danger arising to the public; or
(f)that any dangerous animal should be destroyed, confined or otherwise disposed of,
such Magistrate may make a conditional order requiring the person causing such obstruction or nuisance, or carrying on such trade or occupation, or keeping any such goods or merchandise, or owning, possessing or controlling such building, tent, structure, substance, lank, well or excavation, or owning or possessing such animal or tree, within a time to be fixed in the order-
(i)to remove such obstruction or nuisance; or
(ii)to desist from carrying on, or to remove or regulate in such manner as may be directed, such trade or occupation, or to remove such goods or merchandise, or to regulate the keeping thereof in such manner as may be directed; or
(iii)to prevent or stop the construction of such building, or to alter the disposal of such substance; or
(iv)to remove, repair or support such building, tent or structure, or to remove or support such trees; or
(v)to fence such tank, well or excavation; or
(vi)to destroy, confine or dispose of such dangerous animal in the manner provided in the said order;
or, if he objects so to do, to appear before himself or some other Executive Magistrate subordinate to him at a time and place to be fixed by the order, and show cause, in the manner hereinafter provided, why the order should not be made absolute.
(2)
No order duly made by a Magistrate under this section shall be called in question in any civil Court.
Explanation.- A “public place” includes also property belonging to the State, camping grounds and grounds left unoccupied for sanitary or recreative purposes.

134. Service or notification of order

(1) The order shall, if practicable, be served on the person against whom it is made, in the manner herein provided for service of a summons.
(2) If such order cannot be so served, it shall be notified by proclamation, published in such manner as the State Government may, by rules, direct, and a copy thereof shall be stuck up at such place or places as may be fittest for conveying the information to such person.

135. Person to whom order is addressed to obey or show cause

The person against whom such order is made shall—
(a)perform, within the time and in the manner specified in the order, the act directed thereby; or
(b)appear in accordance with such order and show cause against the same.

136. Consequences of his failing to do so

If such person does not perform such act or appear and show cause, he shall be liable to the penalty prescribed in that behalf in section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860,) and the order shall be made absolute.

137. Procedure where existence of public right is denied

(1) Where an order is made under section 113 for the purpose of preventing obstruction, nuisance or danger to the public in the use of any way river, channel or place, the Magistrate shall, on the appearance before him of the person against whom the order was made, question him as to whether he denies the existence of any public right in respect of the way, river, channel or place, and if he does so, the Magistrate shall, before proceeding under section 138, inquire into the matter.

(2) If in such inquiry the Magistrate finds that there is any reliable evidence in support of such denial, he shall stay the proceedings until the matter of the existence of such right has been decided by a competent Court; and if he finds that there is no such evidence, he shall proceed as laid down in section 138.
(3)
A person who has, on being questioned by the Magistrate under sub-section (1), failed to deny the existence of a public right of the nature therein referred to, or who, having made such denial, has failed to adduce reliable evidence in support thereof, shall not in the subsequent proceedings be permitted to make any such denial.

138. Procedure where he appears to show cause

(1) If the person against whom an order under section 133 is made appears and shows cause against the order, the Magistrate shall take evidence in the matter as in a summons-case.
(2) If the Magistrate is satisfied that the order, either as originally made or subject to such modification as he considers necessary, is reasonable and proper, the order shall be made absolute without modification or, as the case may be, with such modification.
(3) If the Magistrate is not so satisfied, no further proceedings shall be taken in the case.

139. Power of Magistrate to direct local investigation and examination of an expert

The Magistrate may, for the purposes of an inquiry under section 137 or section 138—
(a)direct a local investigation to be made by such person as he thinks fit; or
(b)summon and examine an expert.

140. Power of Magistrate to furnish written instructions, etc

(1) Where the Magistrate directs a local investigation by any person under section 139, the Magistrate may—
(a)furnish such person with such written instruction as may seem necessary for his guidance;
(b)declare by whom the whole or any part of the necessary expenses of the local investigation shall be paid.
(2) The report of such person may be read as evidence in the case.
(3) Where the Magistrate summons and examines an expert under section 139, the Magistrate may direct by whom the costs of such summoning and examination shall be paid.

141. Procedure on order being made absolute and consequences of disobedience

(1) When an order has been made absolute under section 136 or section 138, the Magistrate shall give notice of the same to the person against whom the order was made, and shall further require him to perform the act directed by the order within a time to be fixed in the notice, and inform him that, in case of disobedience, he will be liable to the penalty provided by section 188 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).
(2) If such act is not performed within the time fixed, the Magistrate may cause it to be performed, and may recover the costs of performing it, either by the sale of any building, goods or other property removed by his order, or by the distress and sale of any other movable property of such person within or without such Magistrate’s local jurisdiction and if such other property is without such jurisdiction, the order shall authorise its attachment and sale when endorsed by the Magistrate within whose local jurisdiction the property to be attached is found.
(3) No suit shall lie in respect of anything done in good faith under this section.

142. Injunction pending inquiry

(1) If a Magistrate making an order under section 133 considers that immediate measures should be taken to prevent imminent danger or injury of a serious kind to the public, he may issue such an injunction to the person against whom the order was made, as is required to obviate or prevent such danger or injury pending the determination of the matter.
(2) In default of such person forthwith obeying such injunction, the Magistrate may himself use, or cause to be used, such means as he thinks fit to obviate such danger or to prevent such injury.
(3) No suit shall lie in respect of anything done in good faith by a Magistrate under this section.

143. Magistrate may prohibit repetition or continuance of public nuisance

A District Magistrate or Sub-divisional Magistrate, or any other Executive Magistrate empowered by the Stale Government or the District Magistrate in this behalf, may order any person not to repeat or continue a public nuisance, as defined in the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), or any special or local law.