(1) 3[This Act may be called the Tamil Nadu Property (Prevention of Damage and Loss) Act, 1992.]

(2) It shall come into force at once.

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,

(1) Government means the State Government;

(2) Mischief shall have the same meaning as in Section 425 of the Indian Penal Code;

(3) Political party means a political party recognised by the Election Commission under the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968;

(4) 4[ Property means any property, movable or immovable or machinery owned by or in possession of, or under the control of any person including ]

(a) the Central Government; or

(b) the State Government; or

(c) any local authority; or

(d) the Tamil Nadu State Electricity Board; or

(e) any University in this State; or

(f) any co-operative society including a land development bank registered or deemed to be registered under the Tamil Nadu Co-operative Societies Act, 1983; or

(g) any corporate body constituted under any Act passed by Parliament or the Legislative Assembly of this State; or

(h) any other corporation owned or controlled by the Central Government or the State Government; or

5[(i) any institution concern or undertaking; or

(j) any company.

Explanation. For the purposes of this clause, company means any body corporate and includes a trust, a firm, a society or other association of individuals.]

3. Punishment for committing mischief in respect of 6[property]. Whoever,

(i) Commits mischief by doing any act in respect of any 7[property] and thereby causes damage or loss to such 8[property] to the amount of one hundred rupees or upwards; or

(ii) commits mischief by doing any act which causes or which he knows to be likely to cause a diminution of the supply of water to the public or to any person for any purpose or an inundation of, or obstruction to, any public drainage, or

(iii) commits mischief by doing any act which renders any public road, bridge, navigable channel, natural or artificial impassable or less safe for travelling or conveying property,

shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than one year but which may extend to five years and with fine:

Provided that the Court may, for any adequate and special reason to be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than one year.

4. Mischief causing damage to 9[property] by fire or explosive substance. Whoever commits mischief by fire or any explosive substance intending, to cause or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause damage to any 10[property] to the amount of one hundred rupees or upwards, shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than two years but which may extend to ten years and with fine:

Provided that the Court may for any adequate and special reason to be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than two years.

Whoever commits or instigates, incites or otherwise abets the act of throwing stones, bricks, soda-bottles or any other material whatsoever upon the persons travelling in any motor vehicle, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to five years and with fine:

Provided that the court may, for any adequate and special reason to be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than six months.

Explanation. For the purpose of this section motor vehicle shall have the same meaning as in clause (28) of Section 2 of the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988.

No person accused or convicted of an offence punishable under this Act shall, if in custody, be released on bail or on his own bond unless the prosecution has been given an opportunity to oppose the application for such release.

(1) When imposing a sentence of fine for an offence under this Act, the court may when passing judgment, order the whole or any part of the fine recovered to be applied

(a) in defraying expenses properly incurred in the prosecution;

(b) in the payment, to any person, of compensation for any loss or injury caused by the offence;

(c) in replacing or as the case may be, restoring to the previous state, the 11[property including any road], bridge, navigable channel, natural or artificial.

(2) If the fine is imposed in a case which is subject to appeal, no such payment shall be made before the period allowed for presenting the appeal has elapsed, or, if an appeal be presented, before the decision of the appeal.

(3) An order under this section may also be made by an Appellate Court or by the High Court when exercising its powers of revision.

(4) At the time of awarding compensation in any subsequent civil suit relating to the same matter, the Court shall take into account any sum paid or recovered as compensation under this section.

(5) Save as otherwise provided, when a court imposes a sentence, of which fine does not form a part, the court may, when passing judgment order the accused person to pay, by way of compensation, such amount as may be specified in the order to the person who has suffered any loss or injury by reason of the act for which the accused person has been so sentenced.

No court inferior to that of a Chief Metropolitan Magistrate or a Court of Session shall try any offence punishable under this Act.

Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, where an offence punishable under this Act has been committed during any procession, assembly, meeting, agitation, demonstration or any other activity organised by a political party or communal, language or ethnic group, it shall be presumed that the offence has also been committed by such political party or communal, language or ethnic group and such political party or communal, language or ethnic group shall be liable to pay compensation for damage or loss caused to any 12[property], in accordance with the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder.

13[(1) Any claim for compensation for damage or loss caused to the property shall be made by

(i) any person who has been affected by such damage or loss; or

(ii) such officer empowered by the authorities specified in sub clauses (a) to (j) of clause (4) of Section 2.]

(2) Every application for claim for compensation for damage or loss caused to the 14[Property] shall be in such form and containing such particulars as may be prescribed.

15[(1) Every claim for compensation for damage or loss caused to the property shall be made to such authority as may be prescribed.]

(2) In arriving at the quantum of compensation for damage or loss caused to the 16[property], the authority prescribed under sub-section (1) shall have regard to

(a) the value of the property,

(b) the extent of damage to the [property]; and

(c) such other matters as may be prescribed.

(3) The authority prescribed under sub-section (1) in deciding the claim for compensation shall follow such procedure as may be prescribed.

(4) The authority prescribed under sub-section (1) shall have all the powers of a Civil Court under the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 for the purpose of

(a) taking evidence on oath;

(b) enforcing the attendance of witnesses;

(c) discovery and production of documents and material objects; and

(d) for such other purposes as may be prescribed:

The authority prescribed under sub-section (1) of Section 11, on determination of the compensation amount 17[for any damage or loss to property and on the application of the person or the officer prescribed] under sub-section (1) of Section 10, may issue a certificate for the amount to the Collector and the Collector shall proceed to recover the same in the same manner as an arrear of land revenue.

18[12-A. Appeal. (1) Any person aggrieved by an order made by the authority prescribed under sub-section (1) of Section II may, within such period and in such manner as may be prescribed, appeal to such authority as may be specified by the Government in this behalf.

(2) In deciding the appeal, the authority specified under sub-section (1) shall follow such procedure as may be prescribed and the decision of such authority on such appeal shall be final and shall not be called in question in any court of law.]

(1) The Government may make rules for earning out all or any of the purposes of this Act.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for

(a) the officer by whom an application for compensation to be made;

(b) the form of application for compensation and particulars it may contain and fees if any, to be paid, in respect of the application for compensation;

(c) the authority to whom the claim for compensation has to be made;

(d) the matters to be taken into account in arriving at the quantum of compensation by the authority prescribed under Section II;

(e) the procedure to be followed in deciding the claim for compensation by the authority prescribed under section II; and

(f) any other matter which is to be or may be prescribed.

(3) Even rule made or notification issued under this Act shall, as soon as possible after it is made or issued, be placed on the table of the Legislative Assembly and if, before the expiry of the session in which it is so placed or the next session, the Legislative Assembly agrees in making any modification in any such rule or notification or the Legislative Assembly agrees that the rule or notification should not be made or issued, the rule or notification shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be, so, however that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that rule or notification.

The provisions of this Act shall be in addition to, and not in derogation of, any other law for the time being in force and nothing contained herein shall exempt any person from any proceeding by way of investigation or otherwise which might, apart from this Act, be instituted against him.

The Tamil Nadu Public Property (Prevention of Destruction and Loss) Act, 1982 is hereby repealed.

1. Received the assent of the President on December 14, 1992 and published in the T.N. Gaz., Extra., Part IV, Section 2, dated 23rd December, 1992.

2. Subs. for the public property and the public by Tamil Nadu Act 46 of 1994, S. 2, dt. 4-8-1994.

3. Subs. by Act 48 of 1994, S. 3, dt. 4-8-1994.

4. Subs. by Act 46 of 1994, S. 4(1), dt. 4-8-1994.

5. Subs. by Act 46 of 1994, S. 4(2), dt. 4-8-1994.

6. Subs. for public property by Act 46 of 1994, S. 5, dt. 4-8-1994.

7. Subs. for public property by Act 46 of 1994, S. 5, dt. 4-8-1994.

8. Subs. for public property by Act 46 of 1994, S. 5, dt. 4-8-1994.

9. Subs. for public property by Act 46 of 1994, S. 5, dt. 4-8-1994.

10. Subs. for public property by Act 46 of 1994, S. 5, dt. 4-8-1994.

11. Subs. for public property including any public road by Act 46 of 1994, S. 7, dt. 4-8-1994.

12. Subs. for public property by Act 46 of 1994, S. 8, dt. 4-8-1994.

13. Subs. by Act 46 of 1994, S. 8, dt. 4-8-1994.

14. Subs. for public property by Act 46 of 1994, S. 9(2), dt. 4-8-1994.

15. Subs. by Act 46 of 1994, S. 10(1), dt. 4-8-1994.

16. Subs. for public property by Act 46 of 1994, S. 10(2), dt. 4-8-1994.

17. Subs. for for any damage or loss to the public property and on the application of the officer prescribed by Act 46 of 1994, S. 11, dt. 4-8-1994.

18. Ins. by Act 46 of 1994, S. 12, dt. 4-8-1994.