Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
Power of entry, search, seizure and detention.- (1) The Director or the authorised officer or any Police Officer not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector, may, if he has reason to believe that any person has committed an offence under this Act,- (a) require any such person to produce for his inspection any fish or other article in his possession or any licence, permission or other document issued to him or required to be kept by him under the provisions of this Act; (b) enter and search any premises, land, vehicle or vessel in the occupation of such person and open and search any baggage or other things in his possession; (c) seize any fish together with any weapon, arms, ammunition, tool, or other things used in committing any such offence and unless he is satisfied that such person will appear and answer any charge which may be preferred against him arrest without warrant and detain him. (2) It shall be lawful for any of the officers referred to in sub-section (1), to stop and detain any person whom he sees doing any act for which a licence is required under the provisions of this Act, for the purposes of requiring such person to produce his licence and if such person fails to produce his licence or refuses to furnish his name and address or furnishes a false name and address and where there is reason to believe that he will abscond, he may be arrested without warrant. 7 (3) Any person detained or things seized under the foregoing powers, shall forthwith be produced before the Magistrate having jurisdiction within twenty four hours of such detention excluding the time necessary for the journey from the place of detention to the Court of Magistrate: Provided that if in the opinion of the Officer seizing anything, it is not possible to take it before the Magistrate to be dealt with under this sub-section in time, such officer may sell the property himself, remit the sale proceeds to the nearest Government treasury, and make a report of such seizure, sale and remittance to the Magistrate, and thereupon the Magistrate shall take such action in the case as he deems fit. (4) Any person, who without reasonable cause, fails to produce anything which under the powers conferred by this section he is required to produce, shall be guilty of an offence against this Act.