Section 3: Molesting public officers

3. Molesting public officers (1) Any person who, by force or violence, resists, opposes, molests, hinders or obstructs a— (a) public officer in the performance of his duty; (b) person lawfully engaged, authorised or employed in the performance of a public duty; or (c) person lawfully acting in aid or assistance of the public officer or person mentioned in paragraphs (a) and (b), shall commit an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding 100,000 rupees and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years. (2) In the absence of force or violence, the penalty shall be a fine not exceeding 3,000 rupees and, in the case of a second or subsequent offence, the penalty shall be as provided in subsection (1). [S. 3 amended by Act 29 of 1990; Act 5 of 1999; s. 3 of Act 17 of 2016 w.e.f. 3 September 2016.]