The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act,1958
5. Acquisition of rights in a protected monument
(1) The Director General may, with the sanction of the Central Government, purchase, or take a lease of, or accept a gift or bequest of, any protected monument.
(2) Where a protected monument is without an owner, the Director-General may, by notification in the OfficialGazette, assume the guardianship of the monument.
(3) The owner of any protected monument may, by written instrument, constitute the Director-General theguardian o f the monument, and the Director-General may, with the sanction of the Central Government, accept such guardianship.
(4) When the Director-General has accepted the guardianship of a monument under sub-section (3), the ownershall, except as expressly provided in this Act, have the same estate, right, title and interest in and to the monument as if the Director-General had not been constituted a guardian thereof.
(5) When the Director-General has accepted the guardianship of a monument under sub-section (3), the provisions of this Act relating to agreements executed under section 6 shall apply to the written instrument executed under the said sub-section.
(6) Nothing in this section shall affect the use of any protected monument for customary religious observances.
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act,1958