Section 2. Definitions

2. Definitions.— In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,— (a) "Force" means the Railway Protection Force constituted under section 3 of the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957 (23 of 1957); (b) "member of the Force" means a person appointed to the Force, other than a superior officer; (c) "officer of the Force" means an officer of and above the rank of Assistant Sub-Inspector appointed to the Force and includes a superior officer; (d) "railway property" includes any goods, money or valuable security or animal, belonging to, or in the charge or possession of, a railway administration; (e) "superior officer" means any of the officers appointed under section 4 of the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957 (23 of 1957), and includes any other officer appointed by the Central Government as a superior officer of the force; (f) words and expressions used but not defined in this Act and defined in the Indian Railways Act, 1890 (9 of 1890), shall have the meanings respectively assigned to them under that Act. 3. 2 [Penalty for theft, dishonest misappropriation or unlawful possession of railway property].—[3] [Whoever commits theft, or dishonestly misappropriates or is found, or is proved] to have been, in possession of any railway property reasonably suspected of having been stolen or unlawfully obtained shall, unless he proves that the railway property came into his possession lawfully, be punishable— (a) for the first offence, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years, or with fine, or with both and in the absence of special and adequate reasons to be mentioned in the judgment of the court, such imprisonment shall not be less than one year and such fine shall not be less than one thousand rupees; (b) for the second or a subsequent offence, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to five years and also with fine and in the absence of special and adequate reasons to be mentioned in the judgment of the court, such imprisonment shall not be less than two years and such fine shall not be less than two thousand rupees. 4[ Explanation.— For the purposes of this section, "theft" and "dishonest misappropriation" shall have the same meanings as assigned to them respectively in section 378 and section 403 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).]