Police Act, 1861 | Act 5 of 1861

Section 4 of the Police Act, 1861: Inspector-General of Police and District Police Administration

Section 4 describes the police administration hierarchy under the Police Act, 1861. It provides for an Inspector-General of Police and senior assisting officers at the general police-district level, and for a District Superintendent and assistants at the district level, subject to the applicable statutory framework.

Updated: 1 November 2026 | Subject: Police administration and statutory powers

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Section 4: statutory text
Meaning and legal effect
State laws and modern administration
Historical amendment notes
Frequently asked questions
Official source

Section 4 - Inspector-General of Police, etc.

The administration of the police throughout a general police-district shall be vested in an officer to be styled the Inspector-General of Police, and in such Deputy Inspectors-General and Assistant Inspectors-General as the State Government shall deem fit.

The administration of the police throughout the local jurisdiction of the Magistrate of the district shall, under the general control and direction of such Magistrate, be vested in a District Superintendent and such Assistant District Superintendents as the State Government shall consider necessary.

Readable consolidated wording of the central provision; editorial footnote markers and omitted text are not reproduced in the quotation. Refer to the official text for legislative annotations and State amendments.

Meaning and legal effect of Section 4

1. Inspector-General of Police

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) is the officer identified in the provision as responsible for police administration throughout the relevant general police-district. Under Section 1, the term general police-district describes the territory in which the Act has been brought into operation. The designation and current allocation of powers may be affected by later legislation and State-specific police structures.

2. Deputy and Assistant Inspectors-General

Section 4 contemplates such Deputy Inspectors-General and Assistant Inspectors-General as the State Government considers appropriate. Their existence in the statutory structure does not, by itself, prescribe an identical chain of command or identical powers in every State.

3. District Superintendent of Police

At district level, the provision vests administration in the District Superintendent of Police and such Assistant District Superintendents as the State Government considers necessary. The original statutory wording places district administration under the general control and direction of the district Magistrate. The practical relationship must be read with the police laws, executive arrangements and other legislation currently applicable in that jurisdiction.

4. State Government and superintendence

Section 3 deals with State Government superintendence of the police, whereas Section 4 addresses the officers through whom police administration is carried out. Section 2 concerns constitution of the force. These provisions should be read together, subject to local modifications.

Important distinction: Section 4 concerns administrative responsibility. It should not be treated as a stand-alone grant of unlimited powers of investigation, arrest, punishment or magisterial jurisdiction. Those matters depend on other applicable statutes, rules and lawful orders.

Application under modern State police laws

Police is principally a State subject under Entry 2 of List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. Several States and Union Territories operate under separate police enactments, amendments or commissionerate systems. Accordingly, the 1861 Act cannot be assumed to govern every police organisation in the same form today.

For example, the historical central text records a different administrative arrangement for the town and suburbs of Calcutta under the Calcutta Police Act, 1866. Modern officer designations, including Director General of Police and Commissioner of Police, must be understood through the law applicable to the particular jurisdiction rather than inferred solely from the 1861 wording.

For service matters and disciplinary authority, readers should also consult Section 7 and applicable service rules. The Constitution and relevant procedural legislation continue to govern the lawful exercise of public powers.

Historical legislative and editorial notes

Calcutta exception: Historical annotations to Section 4 refer to police administration in the town and suburbs of Calcutta vesting in the Commissioner of Police under Section 3 of the Calcutta Police Act, 1866 (Bengal Act 4 of 1866).
Adaptation of terminology: The Adaptation of Laws Order, 1950 substituted the expression "State Government" for "Provincial Government", which had itself replaced earlier terminology under the Adaptation of Indian Laws Order, 1937.
Omitted concluding words: Certain words following the two substantive paragraphs were omitted by the Adaptation of Indian Laws Order, 1937. They are not reproduced as operative text.

These notes explain the development of the central provision and are not a substitute for checking current State amendments, repeals and local legislation.

Frequently asked questions

What does Section 4 of the Police Act, 1861 provide?

It establishes the administrative role of the Inspector-General of Police and specified senior officers for a general police-district, and provides for district police administration through a District Superintendent under the general control and direction of the district Magistrate.

Does Section 4 apply uniformly across India?

No. Its practical application depends on the police legislation, amendments and commissionerate arrangements in force in the relevant State or Union Territory.

Official legislation and related provisions

Read the Police Act, 1861 on India Code (official PDF) or the India Code Act record. The official version and the relevant State legislation should be checked before citing Section 4 in legal proceedings.