Official Secrets Act, 1923
13. Restriction on trial of offences
(1) No Court (other than that of a Magistrate
of the first class specially empowered in this behalf by the 23[appropriate
Government] which is inferior to that of a District or Presidency Magistrate
shall try any offence under this Act.
(2) If any person under trial before a
Magistrate for an offence under this Act. at any time before a charge is framed
claims to be tried by the Court of Session, the Magistrate shall, if he does
not discharge the accused, commit the case for trial by that Court,
notwithstanding that it is not a case exclusively triable by that Court.
(3) No Court shall take cognizance of any
offence under this Act unless upon complaint made by order of, or under
authority from the 24[appropriate Government] 25[***] or some officer empowered
by the 23[appropriate Government] in this behalf.
26[***]
(4) For the purposes of the trial of a person
for an offence under this Act, the offence may be deemed to have been committed
either at the place in which the same actually was committed or at any place in
12[India] in which the offender may be found.
27[5) In this section, the appropriate
Government means-
(a) in relation to any
offences under section 5 not connected with a prohibited place or with a
foreign power, the State Government; and
(b) in relation to any
other offence, the Central Government.].