Description

By virtue of section 12, anyone can be arrested without a warrant under the suspicion of carrying arms.

Section 19 defines the acts for breach of which the person can be imprisoned for life or can receive any other rigorous imprisonment not less than seven years.

Section 19. Whoever commits any of the following offenses (namely):-
(a) manufactures, converts or sells, or keeps, offers or exposes for sale, any arms, ammunition, or military stores in contravention of the provisions of section 5;
(b) fails to give notice as required by the same section;
(c) imports or exports any arms, ammunition, or military stores in contravention of the provisions of section 6;
(d) transports any arms, ammunition, or military stores in contravention of a regulation or prohibition issued under section 10;
(e) goes armed in contravention of the provisions of section 13;
(f) has in his possession or under his control any arms, ammunition, or military stores in contravention of the provisions of section 14 or section 15;
(g) intentionally makes any false entry in a record or account which, by a rule made under section 17, clause (c), he is required to keep;
(h) intentionally fails to exhibit anything which, by a rule made under section 17, clause (e), he is required to exhibit; or
(i) fails to deposit arms, ammunition, or military stores, as required by section 14 or section 16;

shall be punished with [imprisonment for life or any other rigorous imprisonment which shall not be less than seven years,].

[19A. Notwithstanding anything contained in section 19, whoever commits an offense under clauses (a), (c), (e), or (f) of section 19 shall, if the offense is committed in respect of a pistol, revolver, rifle 14[shot gun or other fire-arm] be punished with 15[imprisonment for life or rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than ten years].]

20. Whoever does any act mentioned in clauses (a), (c), (d), or (f) of section 19, in such manner as to indicate an intention that such act may not be known to any public servant as defined in the 16[* * *] Penal Code, or to any person employed upon a railway or to the servant of any public carrier,
and whoever, on any search being made under section 25 conceals or attempts to conceal any arms, ammunition, or military stores,
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with a fine, or with both:
Provided that if an offense committed under this section is in respect of a pistol, revolver, rifle or [shot gun or other fire-arm], the offender shall be punished with transportation for life on any shorter term, or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years, or with fine.

20A. Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, whoever goes armed with a pistol, revolver, rifle of 19[shot gun or other fire-arm] in contravention of the provision of section 13, or has any such firearm in his possession or under his control in contravention of the provisions of section 14 or section 15, under circumstances indicating that he intended that such fire-arm should be used for the commission of any offence of murder shall 20[* * *] be punished with death, or with transportation for life or any shorter term or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to fourteen years, to which fine may be added.]

Government has the power to exempt any person from the application of the provisions. [section 27]