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The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
42. Protection of members of Armed Forces from arrest.
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 35 and sections 39 to 41 (both inclusive), no member of the Armed Forces of the Union shall be arrested for anything done or purported to be done by him in the discharge of his official duties except after obtaining the consent of the Central Government.
(2) The State Government may, by notification, direct that the provisions of sub-section (1) shall apply to such class or category of the members of the Force charged with the maintenance of public order as may be specified therein, wherever they may be serving, and thereupon the provisions of that sub-section shall apply as if for the expression "Central Government" occurring therein, the expression "State Government" were substituted.
1. No member of the armed forces can be arrested for something they did or tried to do while on duty, unless the central government allows it. This rule overrides other laws about arrest.
2. The state government can decide that the same protection applies to police officers who maintain public order. In this case, the state government would have the same power as the central government in deciding whether to allow an arrest.