{"id":35183,"date":"2026-11-03T10:54:37","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T10:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=35183"},"modified":"2026-11-03T11:54:05","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T11:54:05","slug":"preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/","title":{"rendered":"Preventive Arrest Under BNSS: Police Powers, Legal Safeguards &amp; Constitutional Concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 id=\"h-preventive-arrest-under-bnss-an-analysis\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Preventive_Arrest_Under_BNSS_An_Analysis\"><\/span>Preventive Arrest Under BNSS: An Analysis<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While preventive detention laws under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are designed to maintain public order and prevent imminent offences, their broad scope makes them highly susceptible to executive overreach and the suppression of legitimate dissent.<\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #0c0c0c;color:#0c0c0c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/#Preventive_Arrest_Under_BNSS_An_Analysis\" >Preventive Arrest Under BNSS: An Analysis<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/#Constitutional_Ambiguity_Public_Order_and_State_Security\" >Constitutional Ambiguity: Public Order and State Security<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/#Article_19_Reasonable_Restrictions_and_Preventive_Detention\" >Article 19: Reasonable Restrictions and Preventive Detention<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/#Section_170_BNSS_Preventive_Arrest_Powers\" >Section 170 BNSS: Preventive Arrest Powers<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/#Section_126_BNSS_Role_of_the_Executive_Magistrate\" >Section 126 BNSS: Role of the Executive Magistrate<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/#Conflict_of_Interest_and_the_Principle_of_Natural_Justice\" >Conflict of Interest and the Principle of Natural Justice<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/#Preventive_Arrests_Political_Misuse_and_Fundamental_Rights\" >Preventive Arrests, Political Misuse and Fundamental Rights<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/#The_Way_Forward_Conclusion\" >The Way Forward &amp; Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This article will discuss the broader framework of preventive arrests under BNSS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-constitutional-ambiguity-public-order-and-state-security\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Constitutional_Ambiguity_Public_Order_and_State_Security\"><\/span>Constitutional Ambiguity: Public Order and State Security<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The terms &#8220;public order&#8221; and &#8220;state security&#8221; are not defined in the Constitution. These terms are vague and cannot be specific grounds for any sort of legal action if they are not specified precisely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Supreme Court has held in the <strong>Shreya Singhal v. Union of India, AIR 2015 SC 1523<\/strong> case, that overbroad and vague terms can lead to arbitrary actions and hence are deemed unconstitutional if infringement of constitutional provisions is prima facie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Similarly, in <strong>A.K. Roy v. Union of India, AIR 1982 SC 710<\/strong>, the Court upheld the constitutional validity of the National Security Act (NSA) while cautioning its use in extreme situations with strict caution so as to protect personal freedom and liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-article-19-reasonable-restrictions-and-preventive-detention\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Article_19_Reasonable_Restrictions_and_Preventive_Detention\"><\/span>Article 19: Reasonable Restrictions and Preventive Detention<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The aforementioned terms have been used in clause 2 of Article 19 as reasonable restrictions on the freedom guaranteed in its clause 1 but not defined in the Constitution so as to leave ample space for the legislature to enact laws on different subjects pertaining to these terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, from the Shreya Singhal case, it is also clear that in statutes, vague terms cannot be used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Furthermore, it can be interpreted that the grounds of detention should not be overbroad and vague like &#8216;public order&#8217; or &#8216;national security&#8217;, as has been established in the landmark case of <strong>The State of Bombay v. Atma Ram Sridhar Vaidya, AIR 1951 SC 157.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-section-170-bnss-preventive-arrest-powers\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Section_170_BNSS_Preventive_Arrest_Powers\"><\/span>Section 170 BNSS: Preventive Arrest Powers<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 170 of BNSS empowers a police officer to arrest a person without a warrant if he knows that the suspect could commit a cognisable offence which cannot be otherwise prevented; the arrestee must be produced before a magistrate within 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 126 of the BNSS empowers an executive magistrate to issue a show cause notice to execute a bond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"h-section-126-bnss-role-of-the-executive-magistrate\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Section_126_BNSS_Role_of_the_Executive_Magistrate\"><\/span>Section 126 BNSS: Role of the Executive Magistrate<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under Section 70 of the Delhi Police Act and Section 15 of BNSS, an officer not below the rank of an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) or Superintendent of Police, respectively, by a government notification act in the capacity of an SEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This administrative task is frequently carried out by an ACP in the capacity of an SEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-conflict-of-interest-and-the-principle-of-natural-justice\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conflict_of_Interest_and_the_Principle_of_Natural_Justice\"><\/span>Conflict of Interest and the Principle of Natural Justice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This provision creates a great conflict of interest and also violates the established principle of <strong>&#8220;Nemo Judex in Causa Sua&#8221;,<\/strong> which means that no one can be a judge in his own cause.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, a person preventively arrested under section 170 of BNSS by the police is produced before an SEM who is also a police officer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This would hinder the application of an independent mind to the case. When both are from the same department, it also does not practically matter if the adjudicator is an ACP or an SEM, as both of them are under the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-preventive-arrests-political-misuse-and-fundamental-rights\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Preventive_Arrests_Political_Misuse_and_Fundamental_Rights\"><\/span>Preventive Arrests, Political Misuse and Fundamental Rights<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Especially in politically charged cases, the arrest is influenced by the government, and the detention itself is also approved by an officer of the government; this leads to grave injustice and an assault on the fundamental rights and the constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"h-the-way-forward-amp-conclusion\" class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Way_Forward_Conclusion\"><\/span>The Way Forward &amp; Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Section 126 must be amended, and the case should not go to an executive magistrate but directly to a judicial magistrate at the first instance so as to avoid conflict of interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Lord Hewart in 1924 remarked, &#8220;Justice<strong> should not only be done but should manifestly and undoubtedly be seen to be done.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In case of non-availability of a judicial magistrate, an executive magistrate may give remand subject to judicial intervention upon the judicial magistrate\u2019s availability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, amendment to the BNSS is of utmost importance to incorporate judicial roles in preventive detentions so as to live up to the spirit of the Constitution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Written By: Ch.Ehtisham Ul Haq<\/strong> is the author of \u201cThe Young Citizens\u2019 Guide To The Constitution Of India\u201d, columnist and an independent researcher.<br>Email: <a href=\"mailto:authorchehtishamulhaq@gmail.com\">authorchehtishamulhaq@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-yoast-seo-related-links yoast-seo-related-links\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-and-detention-legal-framework-safeguards-and-judicial-oversight\/\">Preventive Arrest and Detention: Legal Framework, Safeguards, and Judicial Oversight<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-detention-in-india-constitutional-provisions-article-22-landmark-cases-personal-liberty\/\">Preventive Detention in India: Constitutional Provisions, Article 22, Landmark Cases &amp; Personal Liberty<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-detention-for-cybercriminals-legal-judicial-analysis\/\">Preventive Detention for Cybercriminals: A Legal and Judicial Analysis<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/balancing-freedom-safety-preventive-arrests-india-global-perspective\/\">Balancing Freedom and Safety: How Countries Handle Preventive Arrests &#8211; A Look at India and Beyond<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/section-156-3-vs-section-202-crpc-ramdev-food-products-vs-state-of-gujarat\/\">Ramdev Food Products vs. State of Gujarat: When Must a Magistrate Order Police Investigation Under Section 156(3) Instead of Section 202 CrPC?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Preventive Arrest Under BNSS: An Analysis While preventive detention laws under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) are designed to maintain public order and prevent imminent offences, their broad scope makes them highly susceptible to executive overreach and the suppression of legitimate dissent. This article will discuss the broader framework of preventive arrests under BNSS.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1976,"featured_media":35286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"two_page_speed":[],"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"_joinchat":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[11058,28],"class_list":["post-35183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-constitutional-law","tag-constitutional-law","tag-top-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.8 (Yoast SEO v28.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Preventive Arrest Under BNSS: Police Powers, Legal Safeguards &amp; Constitutional Concerns - Legal Service India - Articles<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Preventive arrest under BNSS explained: Explore Section 170, police powers, Section 126, constitutional safeguards and risks of misuse.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Preventive Arrest Under BNSS: Police Powers, Legal Safeguards &amp; Constitutional Concerns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Preventive arrest under BNSS explained: Explore Section 170, police powers, Section 126, constitutional safeguards and risks of misuse.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss-police-powers-legal-safeguards-constitutional-concerns\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Legal Service India - Articles\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/legalservicesind\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-11-03T10:54:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-11-03T11:54:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/preventive-arrest-under-bnss.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ch. 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