Delhi Police Act, 1978 | Section 13

Section 13 of the Delhi Police Act, 1978: Certificate of Appointment

Section 13 governs the certificate of appointment issued to Delhi Police officers of the rank of Inspector and below. It specifies who receives a certificate, how its form and issuing authority are determined, and what happens to the certificate upon suspension or cessation of service.

Text of Section 13 - Certificate of Appointment

(1) Every police officer of the rank of Inspector and below shall on enrolment receive a certificate of appointment.

(2) The certificate shall be issued under the seal of such officer, and shall be in such form, as the Administrator may, by general or special order, specify.

(3) A certificate of appointment shall become null and void when the person named therein ceases to belong to the Delhi police or shall remain inoperative during the period such person is suspended from the Delhi police.

Meaning and explanation of Section 13

Section 13(1): Certificate on enrolment

Every Delhi Police officer holding the rank of Inspector or a lower rank is to receive a certificate of appointment upon enrolment. This requirement applies to the specified ranks; the provision does not itself prescribe an identical certificate requirement for officers above Inspector rank.

Section 13(2): Issuing seal and prescribed form

The certificate must bear the seal of the officer specified by the Administrator. The Administrator may also specify its form through a general order or a special order. The statutory section does not itself reproduce a standard certificate format, so the applicable administrative order should be consulted where the precise form or issuing authority is in question.

Section 13(3): Effect of leaving service or suspension

The provision distinguishes two legal consequences. When the person named in the certificate ceases to belong to the Delhi Police, the certificate becomes null and void. When the person is suspended, the certificate remains inoperative for the period of suspension. These are different statutory outcomes; suspension does not, by itself, have the same wording or effect as permanently leaving the force.

Key distinction: A certificate becoming null and void on cessation of service is different from its temporary inoperativeness during suspension. The officer's service status and the applicable orders must be considered in each case.

Practical significance

Document of appointment: The certificate records appointment for police officers in the ranks covered by Section 13.
Administrative compliance: Its form and seal depend on the Administrator's applicable general or special order.
Service-status consequences: The certificate cannot be treated as operative during suspension and becomes void when the holder ceases to belong to the Delhi Police.
Separate service rules: Questions about appointment eligibility, discipline, suspension procedure or reinstatement may also require examination of the applicable service rules and orders.

Section 12 - Appointment of subordinate ranks identifies appointing authorities for specified police ranks. Section 14 - Effect of suspension of police officer addresses the legal consequences of suspension. Section 11 concerns officers in charge of police districts, sub-divisions and stations.

Official legal sources

For the Act, subsequent amendments, notifications and applicable rules, consult the India Code official legislation portal and the Delhi Police official website. The statutory extract above follows the wording supplied in the source webpage; readers should verify the latest authoritative text and relevant administrative orders before relying on it for an individual service matter.