Preventive action to be taken by the law and order machinery

(1) A District Magistrate or a Sub-divisional Magistrate or any other Executive Magistrate or any police officer not below the rank of a Deputy Superintendent of Police may, on receiving information and after such inquiry as he may think necessary, has reason to believe that a person or a group of persons residing in or frequenting any place within the local limits of his jurisdiction is likely to commit an offence under this Act and is of the opinion that there is sufficient ground for proceeding, declare such an area to be an area prone to offences punishable under this Act and take necessary action for keeping the peace and good behaviour and maintenance of public order and tranquility and may take preventive action. (2) The provisions of Chapters VIII, X and XI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (Central Act No. 2 of 1974) shall, so far as may be, apply for the purposes of sub-section (1). (3) The State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make one or more schemes specifying the manner in which the officers referred to in sub-section (1) shall take appropriate action specified in such scheme or schemes to prevent offences punishable under this Act.