64. Kinds of Security Force Courts.—For the purposes of this Act there shall be three kinds of
Security Force Courts, that is to say,—
(a) General Security Force Courts;
(b) Petty Security Force Courts; and
(c) Summary Security Force Courts.
65. Power to convence a General Security Force Court.—A General Security Force Court may be
convened by the Central Government or the Director-General or by any officer empowered in this behalf
by warrant of the Director-General.
66. Power to convence a Petty Security Force Court.—A Petty Security Force Court may be
convened by an officer having power to convene a General Security Force Court or by an officer
empowered in this behalf by warrant or any such officer.
67. Contents of warrants issued under sections 65 and 66.—A warrant, issued under section 65 or
section 66 may contain such restrictions, reservations or conditions as the officer issuing it may think fit.
68. Composition of General Security Force Court.—A General Security Force Court shall consist
of not less than five officers, each of whom has held the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police for not
less than three whole years and of whom not less than four are of a rank not below that of a confirmed
Deputy Superintendent of Police.
Explanation.—For the purposes of this section and section 69 “Deputy Superintendent of Police”
includes any post of a higher rank and any post declared by Central Government by notification to be an
equivalent post as also any post higher in rank than the post so declared.
69. Composition of a Petty Security Force Court.—A Petty Security Force Court shall consist of
not less than three officers each of whom has held the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police for not less
than two whole years.
70. Summary Security Force Court.—(1) A Summary Security Force Court may be held by the
Cornandant of any unit of the Force and he alone shall constitute the Court.
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(2) The proceedings shall be attended throughout by two other persons who shall be officers or
subordinate officers or one of either, and who shall not as such, be sworn or affirmed.
71. Dissolution of a Security Force Court.—(1) If a Security Force Court after the commencement
of a trial is reduced below the minimum number of officers required by this Act, it shall be dissolved.
(2) If, on account of the illness of the Law Officer or of the accused before the finding, it is
impossible to continue the trial, a Security Force Court shall be dissolved.
(3) The officer who convened a Security Force Court may dissolve the same if it appears to him that
the exigencies of the service or necessities of discipline render it impossible or inexpedient to continue the
said Security Force Court.
(4) Where a Security Force Court is dissolved under this section, the accused may be tried again.
72. Powers of a General Security Force Court.—A General Security Force Court shall have the
power to try any person subject to this Act for any offence punishable thereunder and to pass any sentence
authorised thereby.
73. Powers of a Petty Security Force Court.—A Petty Security Force Court shall have power to try
any person subject to this Act other than an officer or subordinate officer for any offence made punishable
thereunder and to pass any sentence authorised by this Act other than a sentence of death, or
imprisonment for a term exceeding two years.
74. Powers of a Summary Security Force Court.—(1) Subject to the provisions of sub-section (2),
a Summary Security Force Court may try any offence punishable under this Act.
(2) When there is no grave reason for immediate action and reference can without detriment to
discipline be made to the officer empowered to convene a Petty Security Force Court for the trial of the
alleged offender, an officer holding a Summary Security Force Court shall not try without such reference
any offence punishable under any of the sections 14, 17 and 46 of this Act, or any offence against the
officer holding the court.
(3) A Summary Security Force Court may try any person subject to this Act and under the command
of the officer holding the court, except an officer, or a subordinate officer.
(4) A Summary Security Force Court may pass any sentence which may be passed under this Act
except the sentence of death or of imprisonment for a term exceeding the limit specified in
sub-section (5).
(5) The limit referred to in sub-section (4) shall be,—
(a) one year, if the officer holding the Security Force Court has held either the post of
Superintendent of Police or a post declared by the Central Government by notification to be
equivalent thereto, for a period of not less than three years or holds a post of higher rank than either of
the said post; and
(b) three months, in any other case.
75. Prohibition of second trial.—(1) When any person subject to this Act has been acquitted or
convicted of an offence by a Security Force Court or by a criminal court or has been dealt with under
section 53 or under section 55, he shall not be liable to be tried again for the same offence by a Security
Force Court or dealt with under the said sections.
(2) When any person, subject to this Act, has been acquitted or convicted of an offence by a Security
Force Court or has been dealt with under section 53 or section 55, he shall not be liable to be tried again
by a criminal court for the same offence or on the same facts.
76. Period of limitation for trial for an offence of desertion in certain cases.—No trial for an
offence of desertion, other than desertion on active duty, shall be commenced if the person in question,
not being an officer, has subsequently to the commission of the offence, served continuously in an
exemplary manner for not less than three years with any unit of the Force.
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77. Trial, etc., of offender who ceases to be subject to this Act.—(1) Where an offence under this
Act had been committed by any person while subject to this Act, and he has ceased to be so subject, he
may be taken into and kept in Force custody and tried and punished for such offence as if he continued to
be so subject.
(2) No such person shall be tried for an offence, unless his trial commences within six months after he
had ceased to be this Act:
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply to the trial of any such person for an
offence of desertion or for any of the offences mentioned in section 17 or shall affect the jurisdiction of a
criminal court to try any offence triable by such court as well as by a Security Force Court.
78. Application of Act during term of sentence.—(1) When a person subject to this Act is sentenced
by a Security Force Court to imprisonment, this Act shall apply to him during the term of his sentence,
though he is dismissed from the Force, or has otherwise ceased to be subject to this Act, and he may be
kept, removed, imprisoned and punished as if he continued to be subject to this Act.
(2) When a person subject to this Act is sentenced by a Security Force Court to death, this Act shall
apply to him till the sentence is carried out.
79. Place of trial.—Any person subject to this Act who commits any offence against it may be tried
and punished for such offence in any place whatever.
80. Choice between criminal court and Security Force Court.—When a criminal court and a
Security Force Court have each jurisdiction in respect of an offence, it shall be in the discretion of the
Director-General, or the Inspector-General or the Deputy Inspector-General within whose command the
accused person is serving or such other officer as may be prescribed, to decide before which court the
proceedings shall be instituted, and, if that officer decides that they shall be instituted before a Security
Force Court, to direct that the accused person shall be detained in Force custody.
81. Power of criminal court to require delivery of offender.—(1) When a criminal court having
jurisdiction is of opinion that proceedings shall be instituted before itself in respect of any alleged offence
it may, by written notice, require the officer referred to in section 80 at his option, either to deliver over
the offender to the nearest magistrate to be proceeded against according to law, or to postpone
proceedings, pending a reference to the Central Government.
(2) In every such case the said officer shall either deliver over the offender in compliance with the
requisition, or shall forthwith refer the question as to the court before which the proceedings are to be
instituted, for the determination of the Central Government whose order upon such reference shall be
final.