7. Power to enter search and seize.- (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.) 1158
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