17BMovable property found in a notified place

(1) The District Magistrate, Commissioner of Police or officer taking possession of a notified place shall also take possession of all movable property found therein, and shall make a list thereof in the presence of two respectable witnesses.

(2) If, in the opinion of the District Magistrate, or in a presidency-town the Commissioner of Police, any articles specified in the list are or may be used for the purposes of the unlawful association, he may proceed subject to the provisions hereafter contained in this section to order such articles to be forfeited to Government.

(3) All other articles specified in the list shall be delivered to the person whom he considers to be entitled to possession' thereof, or, if no such person is found, shall be disposed of in such manner as the District Magistrate or Commissioner of Police, as the case may be, may direct.

(4) The District Magistrate or Commissioner of Police shall publish, as nearly as may be in the manner provided in section 87 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (5 of 1898), for the publication of a proclamation, a notice specifying the articles which it is proposed to forfeit and calling upon any person claiming that any article is not liable to forfeiture to submit in writing within fifteen days any representation he desires to make against the forfeiture of the article.

(5) Where any such representation is accepted by the District Magistrate or Commissioner of Police, he shall deal with the article concerned in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (3).

(6) Where any such representation is rejected, the representation, with the decision thereon, shall be forwarded to the District Judge, in the case of a decision by a District Magistrate, or, to the Chief Judge of the Small Cause Court, in the case of a decision by the Commissioner of Police, and no order or forfeiture shall be made until the District Judge or Chief Judge of the Small Cause Court, as the case may be, has adjudicated upon the representation. Where the decision is not confirmed the articles shall be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (3).

(7) In making an adjudication under sub-section (6) the procedure to be followed shall be the procedure laid down in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (5 of 1908), for the investigation of claims so far as it can be made to apply, and the decision of the District Judge or Chief Judge of the Small Cause Court, as the case may be, shall be final.

(8) If the article seized is livestock or is of a perishable nature, the District Magistrate or Commissioner of Police may, if he thinks it expedient, order the immediate sale thereof, and the proceeds of the sale shall be disposed of in the manner herein provided for the disposal of other articles.