10. Compounding of offences:
(1) The State Government may, either before or after institution of any proceedings for any offence punishable under this Act, sanction the acceptance from any person charged with such offence, by way of composition of the offence, such sum of money as it may determine and may direct the release of any property which has been seized as liable to forfeiture under this Act on payment of the value there of as estimate by it or by such officer as it may authorised in this behalf
(2) On the payment by such person of such sum of money, or such value, or both, as the case may by, such person, if in custody, shall be set at liberty and the property seized may be released. If any proceedings shall have been instituted against such person in any Criminal Court, the composition shall be deemed to amount to an acquittal and in no case shall any further proceedings be taken against such person or property with reference to the same facts.
11. Officers empowered to investigate offences:
An Inspector and a police officer not below the rank ofan officer in charge ofa police station shall, within the limits of the area in which such officer exercise jurisdiction, have power to investigate any offence publishable under this Act.
12. Powers of entry, search, seizure and arrest:
(1) 1[The Commissioner]1, Collector or any officer empowered under section 11 to investigate an offence under this Act may.
(a) enter and search at all reasonable times, any premises in which he has reason to believe that any molasses in respect of which an offence punishable under this Act has been or is about to be committed is kept or concealed and seize such molasses and any box, receptacle, package or covering containing such molasses;
(b) seize in any open place or in transit any molasses in respect of which he had reason to believe that any offence punishable under this Act has been committed and also any box, receptacle, package or covering containing such molasses;
(c) seize in any books, account, documents or statements relating to transaction in the molasses so seized;
(d) detain, search and arrest any person whom he has reason to believe to be guilty of any offence publishable under this Act.
(2) The Provisions of 2[the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973]2 shall, so far as may be, apply to any search or seizure under this section as they apply to any search or seizure made under section 11 [94] of the said Code.
13. Provisions of Criminal Procedure Code to apply to investigations, etc,:
Save as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, all investigations, search, seizures, arrests and detentions in custody shall be made in accordance with 2[the Code Criminal Procedure, 1973]2.
14. Repost of seizure of molasses to Magistrate:
(1) A report about any molasses or article seized under section 12 shall, as soon as possible, be submitted to the Magistrate having jurisdiction, who may, after making such inquiry as he may consider necessary, give such direction for its temporary custody as he thinks fit.
(2) Where no prosecution is instituted, or the offence is compounded under section 10, the magistrate may subject to the provisions of section 10, direct the return of such molasses or articles to the persons from whom they were seized.
15. Delegation of powers:
The State Government or 3[the Commissioner,]3 as the case may be, may by notification in the Official Gazette, direct that any power conferred or any duty imposed on it or him may, subject to such conditions as it or he may, specify, be exercisable also by any officer specified by it or him.