CHAPTER VIII
OF OFFENCES AGAINST THE PUBLIC TRANQUILLITY
141. Unlawful assembly: An assembly of five or more persons is designated an "unlawful
assembly" if the common object of the persons composing that assembly is;
First: To overawe by criminal force, or show of criminal force, the Federal or any Provincial
Government or Legislature, or any public servant in the exercise of the lawful power of
such public servant; or
"Second: To resist the execution of any law, or of any legal process, or
Third: To commit any mischief or criminal trespass, or other offence; or
Fourth: By means of criminal force, or show of criminal force, to any person to take or
obtain possession of any property, or to deprive any person of the enjoyment of a right of
way, or of the use of water or other incorporeal right of which he is in possession or
enjoyment, or to enforce any right or supposed right; or
Fifth: By means of criminal force, or show of criminal force, to compel any person to do
what he is not legally bound to do, or to omit to do what he is legally entitled to do.
Explanation : An assembly which was not unlawful when it assembled, may subsequently
become an unlawful assembly.
142. Being member of unlawful assembly : Whoever being aware of facts which render
any assembly an unlawful assembly, intentionally joins that assembly, or continues in it, is
said to be a member of any unlawful assembly.

143. Punishment: Whoever is a member of an unlawful assembly, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine,
or with both.
144. Joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon : Whoever, being armed
with any deadly weapon, or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to
cause death, is a member of an unlawful assembly/shall be punished with imprisonment of
either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
145. Joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded
to disperse: Whoever joins or continues in an unlawful assembly, knowing that such
unlawful assembly has been commanded in the manner prescribed by law to disperse,
shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to
two years, or with fine, or with both.
146. Rioting : Whenever force or violence is used by an unlawful assembly, or by any
member thereof, in prosecution of the common object of such assembly, every member of
such assembly is guilty of the offence of rioting.
147. Punishment for rioting: Whoever is guilty of rioting, shall be punished with
imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine,
or with both.
148. Rioting, armed with deadly weapon: Whoever is guilty of rioting, being armed with
a deadly weapon or with anything which, used as a weapon of offence, is likely to cause
death, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may
extend to three years, or with fine, or with both.
149. Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in
prosecution of common object: If an offence is committed by any member of an
unlawful assembly in prosecution of the common object of that assembly, or such as the
members of that assembly knew to be likely to be committed in prosecution of that object,
every person who, at the time of the committing of that offence, is a member of the same
assembly, is guilty of that offence.
150. Hiring, or conniving at hiring, of persons to join unlawful assembly: Whoever
hires or engages, or employs, or promotes, or connives at the hiring engagement or
employment of any person to join or become a member of any unlawful assembly, shall be
punishable as a member of such Unlawful assembly, and for any offence which may be
committed by any such person as a member of such unlawful assembly in pursuance of
such hiring, engagement or employment, in the same manner as if he had been a member
of such unlawful assembly, or himself had committed such offence.
151. Knowingly joining or continuing in assembly of five or more persons after it
has commanded to disperse: Whoever knowingly joins or continues in any assembly of

five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace, after such
assembly has been lawfully commanded to disperse, shall be punished with imprisonment
of either description for a term which may extend to six months or with fine, or with both.
Explanation: If the assembly is an unlawful assembly within the meaning ,of Section 141,
the offender will be punished under Section 145.
152. Assaulting to obstructing public servant when suppressing riot, etc.: Whoever
assaults or threatens to assault, or obstructs or attempts to obstruct a public servant in the
discharge of his duty as such public servant, in endeavouring to disperse an unlawful
assembly, or to suppress a riot or affray, or uses, or threatens, or attempts to use criminal
force to such public servant, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for
a term which may extend to three years or with fine, or with both.
153. Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot-if rioting be committed; if
not committed: Whoever malignantly, or wantonly, by doing anything which is illegal,
lives provocation to any person intending or knowing it to be likely that such provocation
will cause the offence of rioting be committed, shall, if the offence of rioting be committed
in consequence of such provocation, be punished with imprisonment of either description
for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both; and if the offence
if rioting be not committed, with imprisonment of either description for a term which may
extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
[153-A. Promoting enmity between different groups, etc.: Whoever,
(a) by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations or
otherwise, promotes or incites, or attempts to promote or incite, on grounds of religion,
race, place of both, residence. language, caste or community or any other ground
whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity,
hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes
or communities; or
(b) commits, or incites any other person to commit, any act which is prejudicial to the
maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial, language or regional groups
or castes or communities or any group of persons identifiable as such on any ground
whatsoever and which disturbs or is likely to disturb public tranquillity; or
(c) organizes, or incites any other person to organize, and exercise, movement, drill or
other similar activity intending that the participants in any such activity shall use or be
trained to use criminal force or violence or knowing it to be likely that the participants in
any such activity will use or be trained to use criminal force or violence or participates, or
incites any other person to participate, in any such activity intending to use or be trained to
use criminal force or violence or knowing it to be likely that the participants in any such
activity will use or be trained, to use criminal force or violence, against any religious,
racial, language .or regional group or caste of community or any group of persons
identifiable as such on any ground .whatsoever and any such activity for any reason

whatsoever cause or is likely to cause fear or alarm or a feeling of insecurity amongst
members of such religious, racial, language or regional group or caste or community.
shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and with
fine.
Explanation: It does not amount to an offence within the meaning of this section to point
but, without malicious intention and with an honest view to their removal, matters which
are producing, or have a tendency to produce, feelings of enmity or hatred between
different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities].
Sec. 153-A subs. by Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, VI of 1973, S. 2.
[153-B. Inducing students, etc., take part in political activity : Whoever by words,
either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representations, or otherwise, induce or
attempts to induce any student, or any class of students, or any institution interested in or
connected with students, to take part in any political activity which disturbs or undermines,
or is likely disturb or undermine, the public order shall be punished with imprisonment
which may extend to two years or –with fine or with both].
Sec. 153-B subs. by Criminal Law. (Amendment) Act, VI of 1973, S. 2.
154. Owner or occupier of land on which an unlawful assembly is held: Whenever
any unlawful assembly or riot takes place, the owner or occupier of the land upon which
unlawful assembly is held, or such riot is committed, and any person having or claiming an
interest in such land, shall be punishable with fine not exceeding one thousand rupees, if
he or his agent or manager, knowing that such offence is being or has been committed, or
having reason to believe it is likely to be committed, do not give the earliest notice thereof
in his or their power to the principal officer at the nearest police station, and do not, in the
case of his or their having reason to believe that it was about to be committed, use all
lawful means in his or their power to prevent it and, in the event of its taking place, do not
use all lawful means in his or their power to disperse or suppress the riot or unlawful
assembly.
155. Liability of person for whose benefit riot is committed : Whenever a riot is
committed for the benefit or on behalf of any person who is the owner or occupier of any
land respecting which such riot takes place or who claims any interest in such land, or in
the subject of any dispute which gave rise to the riot, or who has accepted or derived 'any
benefit there from, such person shall be punishable with fine, if he or his agent or
manager, having reason to believe that such riot was likely to be committed or that the
unlawful assembly by which such riot was committed was likely to be held, shall not
respectively use all lawful means in his or their power to prevent such assembly or riot
from taking place, and for suppressing and dispersing the same.
156. Liability of agent of owner or occupier for whose benefit riot is committed:
Whenever a riot is committed for the benefit or on behalf of any person who is the owner
or occupier of any land respecting which such riot takes place, or who claims any interest
in such land, or in the subject of any dispute which give rise to the riot, or who has

accepted or derived any benefit there from, the agent or manager of such person shall be
punishable with fine, if such agent or manager, having reason to believe that such riot was
likely to be committed or that the Unlawful assembly by which such riot was committed
was likely to be held, shall not use all lawful means in his power to prevent such riot or
assembly from taking place and for suppressing and dispersing the same.
157. Harbouring persons hired for an unlawful assembly: Whoever harbours, receives
or assembles, in any house or premises in his occupation or charge, or under his control
any persons knowing that such persons have been hired, engaged or employed, or are
about to be hired, engaged or employed, to join or become members of an unlawful
assembly, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may
extend to six months, or with fine, or with both.
158. Being hired to take part in an unlawful assembly or riot: Whoever is engaged or
hired, or offers or attempts to be hired or engaged, to do or assist in doing any of the acts
specified in Section 141, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a
term which may extend to six months, or with fine, or with both,
or to go armed: and whoever, being so engaged or aforesaid, goes armed, or engages or
offers to go armed, with any deadly weapon or with anything which used as a weapon
of offence is likely to cause death, shall be punished with imprisonment of either
description for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.
159. Affray: When two or more persons, by fighting in a public place, disturb the public
peace, they are said to "commit an affray.
160. Punishment for committing affray: Whoever commits an affray, shall be punished
with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one month, or with
fine which may extend to one hundred rupees, or with both.