Whoever, being a police officer,-

(a) Violates or neglects to obey any legal provision, procedure, rule or regulation applicable to members of the police force under this Act, or

(b) Pretending to have illness or pretends to have illness or injury or voluntarily hurst himself with a view to evade from duty, or

(c) Acts in any other manner unbecoming of a police officer, or

(d) Is guilty of cowardice,

Shall, on conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine or with both.

Provided that in respect of an act considered to be an offence under this section, the disciplinary authority concerned may decide that departmental disciplinary proceedings shall alone be taken without resorting to criminal proceedings.