Section 48. Enlistment of village guards in rural areas

(1) The District Superintendent of Police may, in the manner prescribed, enlist a person to function as a village guard for a village or group of villages in a Police District under his charge. (2) Able-bodied persons not below the age of 401 year and above the age of fifty-five years at the time of such enlistment and residing in a village, or in the case of a group of villages in a village of that group, may be enlisted as village guards. (3)2 The District Superintendent of Police shall observe the following order of preference in the process of enlistment, namely:- (a) Ex -Serviceman/ retired paramilitary personnel from Central or State paramilitary force; (b)Home guard volunteer; (c) any other local resident of the village possessing minimum educational qualification of having passed Class Eight. (4) A person shall not be enlisted as a village guard, if- (a) he has been convicted for an offence involving moral turpitude; (b) a criminal case has been registered and is pending against him; (c) he is member of a political party or its affiliate; or (d) he does not possess such educational qualifications as may be prescribed.