Section 24 Delhi Police Act: Officers Always on Duty and Deployment Across Delhi

Section 24: Text of the law

This provision contains two connected rules: a legal deeming provision for duty status and a power to deploy officers across Delhi.

Meaning and scope of Section 24

1. Police officers deemed to be always on duty

The phrase “deemed to be always on duty” is a legal fiction for the purposes of the Delhi Police Act. It establishes the officer's statutory duty status even where an officer is not performing a particular scheduled assignment at that moment. Its effect must be read with the Act, applicable service rules, lawful orders and the facts of the case.

2. Express exceptions: leave and suspension

The opening words exclude a police officer on leave or under suspension from the always-on-duty deeming rule. The provision should not be read as cancelling authorised leave or automatically restoring an officer's powers during suspension.

3. Deployment anywhere within Delhi

A police officer, group or body of officers allocated to one part of Delhi may be employed on police duty in another part of Delhi when the Commissioner of Police so directs. The statute permits this deployment for as long as the officers' services are required in the other part.

4. Who may issue the direction?

Section 24 expressly identifies the Commissioner of Police as the authority whose direction triggers the cross-Delhi deployment power described in this provision. Other officers' administrative roles must be assessed under applicable delegations, regulations and service instructions rather than assumed from Section 24 alone.

Practical implications for police administration

• Emergency response: Officers may be deployed from one district to another when policing needs require additional personnel.
• Public events and security: Personnel may be assigned elsewhere in Delhi for crowd management, public order or other lawful police duties.
• Duty status: An officer's status under the Act is not determined solely by whether the officer is on a scheduled shift.
• Service conditions: Rosters, rest, leave, compensation and disciplinary consequences depend on the applicable legal and administrative framework; Section 24 does not independently settle those questions.

Related provisions of the Delhi Police Act

Section 21 addresses powers of punishment and suspension of subordinate police officers. Section 22 addresses recording punishment orders and reasons. Section 23 provides for appeals against specified punishment orders. Section 25 deals with resignation by subordinate-rank police officers.

Official legal sources

For the current consolidated law and any amendments, consult the India Code official legislation portal and search for the Delhi Police Act, 1978. For department-level regulations and notifications, refer to the Delhi Police official website. These are reference sources; applicable notifications and amendments should be checked for the relevant date.

Frequently asked questions

Are Delhi Police officers always on duty?

For the purposes of the Delhi Police Act, Section 24 deems every police officer who is not on leave or under suspension to be always on duty.

Can a Delhi Police officer be assigned to another district?

Yes. Section 24 permits police officers allocated to one part of Delhi to be employed in another part of Delhi if the Commissioner of Police directs it.

Does Section 24 mean police officers cannot take leave?

No. Section 24 expressly excludes officers on leave from its deeming rule; leave entitlements and approvals are governed by the applicable rules.

Does Section 24 authorise deployment outside Delhi?

Its express cross-area deployment language concerns employment in another part of Delhi. Any deployment outside Delhi would require a separate applicable legal basis.