10-A. Power of State Government to impose collective fine. –(1) If, after an inquiry in the prescribed manner, the State Government is satisfied that the inhabitants of an area are concerned in, or abetting the commission of, any offence punishable under this Act, or harbouring persons concerned in the commission of such offence or failing to render all the assistance in their power to discover or apprehend the offender or offenders or suppressing material evidence of the commission of such offence, the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, impose a collective fine on such inhabitants and apportion such fine amongst the inhabitants who are liable collectively to pay it, and such apportionment shall be made according to the State Government’s judgment of the respective means of such inhabitants and in making any such apportionment the State Government may assign a portion of such fine to a Hindu undivided family to be payable by it:
Provided that the fine apportioned to an inhabitant shall not be realised until the petition, if any denied by him under sub- section (3), is disposed of.
(2) The notification made under subsection (1) shall be proclaimed in the area by beat of drum or in such other manner as the State Government may think best in the circumstances to bring the imposition of the collective fine to the notice of the inhabitants of the said area.
(3) (a) Any person aggrieved by the imposition of the collective fine under subsection (I) or by the order of apportionment, may, within the prescribed period, file a petition before the State Government or such other authority as that Government may specify in this behalf for being exempted from such fine or for modification of the order or apportionment:
Provided that no fee shall be charged for filing such petition
(b) The State Government or the authority specified by it shall, after giving to the petitioner a reasonable opportunity of being heard, pass such order as it may think fit:
Provided that the amount of the fine exempted or reduced under this section shall not be realizable from any person, and the total fine imposed on the inhabitants of an area under subsection (1) shall be deemed to have been reduced to that extent.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (3), the State Government may exempt the victims of any offence punishable under this Act or any person who does not, in its opinion, fall within the category of persons specified in sub-section (1) from the liability to pay the collective fine imposed under sub-section (1) or any portion thereof.
(5) The portion of collective fine payable by any person (including a Hindu undivided family may be recovered in the manner provided by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) for the recovery of fines imposed by a Court as if such portion were a fine imposed by a Magistrate.
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