(1) It shall be lawful for any
police officer not below the rank of an officer in charge of a police
station,--
(a) to enter, if necessary by force, whether by day or night
with such assistance as he considers necessary, any premises which he has
reason to suspect, are being used for purposes connected with the promotion or
conduct of any prize chit or money circulation scheme in contravention of the
provisions of this Act;
(b) to search the said premises and the persons whom he may
find therein;
(c) to take into custody and produce before any Judicial
Magistrate all such persons as are concerned or against whom a complaint has
been made or credible information has been received or a reasonable suspicion
exists of their having been concerned with the use of the said premises for
purposes connected with, or with the promotion or conduct of, any such prize
chit or money circulation scheme as aforesaid;
(d) to seize all things found in the said premises which are
intended to be used, or reasonably suspected to have been used, in connection
with any such prize chit or money circulation scheme as aforesaid.
(2) Any
officer authorised by the State Government in this behalf may--
(a) at all reasonable times, enter into and search any
premises which he has reason to suspect, are being used for the purposes
connected with, or conduct of, any prize chit or money circulation scheme in
contravention of the provisions of this Act;
(b) examine any person having the control of, or employed in
connection with, any such prize chit or money circulation scheme;
(c) order the production of any documents, books or records
in the possession or power of any person having the control of, or employed in
connection with, any such prize chit or money circulation scheme; and
(d) inspect and seize any register, books of account,
documents or any other literature found in the said premises.
(3) All searches under this
section shall be made in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974).