Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for production) Act, 1985
8. Power to search
and seize. –
1.
If
the authorised officer has any reason to believe that,-
a. any article or class
of articles specified in any order made under section 3 is being produced in
any place in contravention of such order; or
b. any article or class of
articles produced in contravention of such order are secreted in any place; or
c. any article or class
of articles is liable to forfeiture under this Act, he may enter into and
search such place or premises for such article, or class of articles or any power
loom which in the opinion of the authorised officer may have been used for the
production of such articles or class of articles.
2.
Where,
as a result of any search made under sub-section (1), any article or class of
articles or any powerloom has been found that the authorised officer has reason
to believe that such article or class of articles has been produced, or such
power loom has been used for the production of any article or class of
articles, in contravention of any order made under section 3, he may seize such
article, class of articles or power loom, together with the package, covering
or receptacle, if any, in which such article or class of articles is found :
Provided
that
where it is not practicable to seize any article or powerloom, the authorised
officer may serve on the owner of the article or the powerloom, as the case may
be, an order that he shall not remove, part with, or otherwise deal with the
article or powerloom except with the previous permission of such authorised
officer .
1.
2.
3.
Where
any article or powerloom is seized under sub-section (2) and no prosecution has
been launched within six months of such seizure, it shall be returned to the
person from whose possession it was seized.
4.
The
authorised officer may also seize any documents or things which, in his
opinion, will be useful for, or relevant to, any proceeding under this Act.
5.
The
person from whose custody any documents are seized under sub-section (4) shall
be entitled to make copies thereof or take extracts therefrom in the presence
of the authorised officer.
6.
If
any person legally entitled to the documents or things seized under sub-section
(4) objects, for any reason, to the retention by the authorised officer of the
documents or things, he may make an application to the Central Government
stating therein the reasons for such objection and requesting for the return of
the documents or things.
7.
On
receipt. of an application under sub-section (6), the Central Government may,
after giving the applicant an opportunity of being heard, pass such order as it
may think fit.