Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Penalty for obstructing Inspecting Officer, etc.—Any person who voluntarily obstructs an Inspecting Officer in the exercise of any power conferred on him by or under this Act or any person lawfully assisting an Inspecting Officer in the exercise of such power or who fails without sufficient cause to comply with any lawful direction made by an Inspecting Officer shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to six months or with fine which may extend to two hundred and fifty rupees, or with both. Comments & Case-law [The word ‘obstruction’ connotes some overt act in the nature of violence or show of violence. Refusing to disclose the name and address of the employer by an employee in course of an inspection by authorities under the Act, amounts only to non-co-operation and does not amount to obstruction. Madhav Prasad Agrawal vs. State of Bihar; 1986, PLJR 742. —Section 32—inspecting officer asked personnel manager of the establishment to produce documents but documents not produced despite several adjournments at request of personnel manager—intimation for production of document also given to Chairman and Managing Director—inspecting officer has power to issue direction for production of documents and violation of direction itself is an offence under Section 32 of Act. Ramanand Singh vs. State of Bihar, 1997(1) PLJR 379. —Sections 32 and 34—a company manufacturing medicine, registered under the Factories Act, 1948, is not covered by this Act—therefore, no cognizance can he taken for offence under sections 32 and 34, where the employer disputes the authority of inspecting officer under shops Act—no prosecution can be launched against such an employer under Shops Act because of application of Factories Act to the company. M/s. Baidyanath Ayurved Bhawan Ltd. vs. State of Bihar, 1998(3) PLJR 80.]