The Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007

 

GOVERNMENT OF NATIONAL CAPITAL TERRITORY OF DELHI 

(DEPARTMENT OF LAW, JUSTICE & LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS) 

8th LEVEL, C-WING, DELHI SECRETARIAT, NEW DELHI 

No. F 14(28)/ LA-2006/LC LAW/42-51 Dated the 29th January, 2009 

NOTIFICATION 

F.14(28)/LA. The following Act of the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi 
received the assent of the President of India on the 17th, January 2009 and is hereby 
published for general information :- 

" The Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007" 

(Delhi Act 1 of 2009) 

(As passed by the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi on 31st March 2008) 

( 17th January, 2009) 

An Act to provide for the prevention of defacement of properties and for matters 

connected therewith or incidental thereto in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. 

BE it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi 
in the Fifty-ninth year of the Republic of India as follows:- 

1. Short title, extent and commencement 

(1) This Act may be called the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 2007. 

(2) It extends to the whole of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. 

(3) It shall come into force on such date as the Lieutenant Governor of the National 

Capital Territory of Delhi may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint. 

2. Definitions 

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, - 

(a) "defacement" includes impairing or interfering with the appearance or beauty, damaging, 
disfiguring, spoiling or injuring in any other way whatsoever and the word "deface" 
shall be construed accordingly; 

(b) "Lieutenant Governor" means the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory of 
Delhi appointed by the President under Article 239 and designated as such 
under Article 239AA of the Constitution; 



 

(c) "property" includes any building, hut, structure, wall, tree, fence, post, pole or 
any other erection; 

(d) "writing" includes printing, painting, decoration, lettering, ornamentation etc., 
produced by stencil. 

3. Penalty for defacement of property 

(1) Whoever defaces any property in public view by writing or marking with ink, chalk, paint or 

any other material except for the purpose of indicating the name and address of the owner 

or occupier of such property, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may 
extend to one year, or with fine which may extend to fifty thousand rupees, or with both. 

(2) When any offence is committed under sub-section (1) is for the benefit of some other 

person or a company or other body corporate or an association of persons ( whether 

incorporated or not) then, such other person and every president, chairman, director, 

partner, manager, secretary, agent or any other officer or persons connected with the 

management thereof, as the case maybe, shall, unless he proves the offence was 

committed without his knowledge or consent, be deemed to be guilty of such offence. 

(3) The aforesaid penalties will be without prejudice to the provisions of Section 425 and 

Section 434 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1860) and the provisions of 
relevant Municipal Acts. 

4. Composition of offences 

(1) Any offence of defacement whether committed before or after the commencement of this Act 

punishable under Section 3, may either before or after the institution of the prosecution, 

be compounded by such officers or authorities and for such amount as the 

Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf. 

(2) Where an offence has been compounded under sub section (1), the offender, if in custody, 
shall be discharged and no further proceedings shall be taken against him in 
respect of such offence. 

5. Offence to be cognizable 

An offence punishable under this act shall be cognizable 

6. Power of the Lieutenant Governor to erase writing, etc. 

Without prejudice to the provisions of Section 3, it shall be competent for the Lieutenant 

Governor to take such steps as may be necessary for erasing any writing, freeing any 

defacement or removing any mark from any property. 

7. Act to override other Laws 

The provisions of this Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything to the contrary 
contained in any other laws for the time being in force: 



 

Provided that the provisions of this Act shall not be applicable to advertisements displayed at 
duly authorised public spaces for advertising by appropriate authorities. 

8. Repeal and Savings 

On the day on which the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act,2007 comes into force 

, the West Bengal Prevention of Defacement of Property Act, 1976 ( Bengal Act no.21 of 1976) 

as extended to the National Capital Territory of Delhi shall cease to have effect except in case of 

things done or omitted to be done before the commencement of this Act. 

( Sd Savita Rao ) 

Joint Secretary ( Law ) 

DEPARTMENT OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT 

NOTIFICATIONS 

Delhi, the 24th February,2009 

F.No.18(A)/43/2000/UD/Pt.F.-1/3371. 

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 1 of the Delhi Prevention of 

Defacement of Property Act, 2007 ( Delhi Act 1 of 2009 ), the Lt Governor of the National Capital 
Territory of Delhi is pleased to appoint the 1st day of March, 2009 as the date on which 
the said Act shall come into force. 

These explanations are added by Col Shivraj. 

1. Defacement is basically of four types as under :- 

( a ) Posters 

( b ) Writings on the wall 

( c ) Banners 

These 3 are totally banned under this Act. 

( d ) Hoardings . 



 
 
 

 
 
 

Prevention of Defacement of Property and Other 
Campaign Related Items – Revised Instructions issued 
by ECI 
 

 
 
 
 

These are allowed at the specific places by the civic agencies for a specific period after 
paying the normal charges. All other hoardings are illegal under this Act. 

2. Property includes any property ( Govt or Private ) in public view like buildings, hut, 

structure, wall, poles / posts, trees, roof tops or any other erection. 

3. The guilty of the defacement shall be the owner, President, Director, Partner, 

agent or any other officer responsible with the management thereof. 

4. Posters, Banners and Writings on the Wall are totally banned. Hoardings 

are allowed only at the specified places after taking the due permission 

from the civic agency. All other Hoardings are illegal under this Act. 

http://eci.gov.in/eci_main/CurrentElections/ECI_Instructions/ins19012012.pdf