Central Excise Act, 1944
21. INQUIRY HOW TO BE MADE BY CENTRAL EXCISE OFFICERS AGAINST
ARRESTED PERSONS FORWARDED TO THEM UNDER SECTION 19.
(1) When any person is forwarded under section 19 to a Central
Excise Officer empowered 82a to send persons so arrested to a Magistrate, the
Central Excise Officer shall proceed to enquire into the charge against him.
(2) For this purpose the Central Excise Officer may exercise the
same powers and shall be subject to the same provisions as the
officer-in-charge of a police station may exercise and is subject to under the
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898), 87 when investigating a
cognizable case :
Provided that –
(a) if the Central Excise Officer is of
opinion that there is sufficient evidence or reasonable ground of suspicion
against the accused person, he shall either admit him to bail to appear before
a Magistrate having jurisdiction in the case, or forward him in custody to such
Magistrate;
(b) if it appears to the Central Excise Officer that there is
not sufficient evidence or reasonable ground of suspicion against the accused
person, he shall release the accused person on his executing a bond, with or
without sureties as the Central Excise Officer may direct, to appear, if and when
so required, before the Magistrate having jurisdiction, and shall make a full
report of all the particulars of the case to his official superior.