Official Secrets Act, 1923
11. Search-warrants
(1) If a Presidency Magistrate, Magistrate of
the first class or Sub-divisional Magistrate is satisfied by information on
oath that there is reasonable.
ground for suspecting that an offence under
this Act has been or is about to be committed, he may grant a search-warrant
authorizing any police officer named therein, not being below the rank of an
officer in charge of a police station, to enter at any time any premises or
place named in the warrant, if necessary, by force, and to search the
premises or place and every person found therein, and to seize any sketch,
plan, model, article, note or document, or anything of a like nature, or
anything which is evidence of an offence under this Act having been or being
about to be committed which he may find on the premises or place or any such
person, and with regard to or in connection with which he has reasonable ground
for suspecting that an offence under this Act has been or is about to be
committed.
(2) Where it appears to a police officer, not
being below the rank of Superintendent, that the case is one of great
emergency, and that in the interests of the State immediate action is
necessary, he may by a written order under his hand give to any police officer
the like authority as may be given by the warrant of a Magistrate under this
section.
(3) Where action has been taken by a police
officer under sub-section (2) he shall, as soon as may be, report such action,
in a presidency- town to the Chief Presidency Magistrate, and outside such town
to the District or Sub- divisional Magistrate.