Section 4:
Special powers of the armed forces.
Any commissioned officer, warrant officer, noncommissioned
officer or any other person of equivalent rank in the armed forces may, in a disturbed
area,—
(a) if he is of opinion that it is necessary so to do for the maintenance of public order, after giving
such due warning as he may consider necessary, fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing
of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law or order for the time being in
force in the disturbed area prohibiting the assembly of five or more persons or the carrying of
weapons or of things capable of being used as weapons or of fire-arms, ammunition or explosive
substances;
(b) if he is of opinion that it is necessary so to do, destroy any arms dump, prepared or fortified
position or shelter from which armed attacks are made or are likely to be made or are attempted to be made, or any structure used as a training camp for armed volunteers or utilised as a hide-out by armed
gangs or absconders wanted for any offence;
(c) arrest, without warrant, any person who has committed a cognizable offence or against whom
a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed or is about to commit a cognizable offence and
may use such force as may be necessary to effect the arrest;
(d) enter and search, without warrant, any premises to make any such arrest as aforesaid or to
recover any person believed to be wrongfully restrained or confined or any property reasonably
suspected to be stolen property or any arms, ammunition or explosive substances believed to be
unlawfully kept in such premises, and may for that purpose use such force as may be necessary, and
seize any such property, arms, ammunition or explosive substances;
(e) stop, search and seize any vehicle or vessel reasonably suspected to be carrying any person
who is a proclaimed offender, or any person who has committed a non-cognizable offence, or against
whom a reasonable suspicion exists that he has committed or is about to commit a non-cognizable
offence, or any person who is carrying any arms, ammunition or explosive substance believed to be
unlawfully held by him, and may, for that purpose, use such force as may be necessary to effect such
stoppage, search or seizure, as the case may be.