(1)

Any officer empowered by the Commissioner in this behalf may, for the purposes of this Act, require any dealer to produce before him the accounts, registers, records and other documents and to furnish any other information relating to his business.

(2)

All accounts, registers, records and other documents maintained by a dealer in the course of his business, the goods in his possession and his offices, shops, godowns, vessels or vehicles shall be open to inspection at all reasonable times by such officer:

Provided that no residential accommodation not being a place of business-cum-residence shall be entered into and searched by such officer except on the authority of a search warrant issued by a Judicial Magistrate having jurisdiction over the area, and all searches under this sub-section shall, so far as may be, be made in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

(3)

If any such officer has reason to suspect that any dealer is attempting to evade the payment of any tax, fee or other amount due from him under this Act, he may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, seize such accounts, registers, records or other documents of the dealer as he may consider necessary, and shall give the dealer a receipt for the same. The accounts, registers, records and documents so seized shall be retained by such officer only for so long as may be necessary for their examination and for any inquiry or proceeding under this Act:

Provided that such accounts, registers and documents shall not be retained for more than thirty days at a time except with the permission of the next higher authority.

(4)

Any such officer shall have power to seize and confiscate any goods which are found in any office, shops, godowns, vessel, vehicle, or any other place of business or any building or place of the dealer, but not accounted for by the dealer in his accounts, registers, records and other documents, maintained in the course of his business:

Provided that before ordering the confiscation of goods under this sub-section, the officer shall give the person affected an opportunity of being heard and make an inquiry in the prescribed manner:

Provided also that the officer ordering the confiscation shall give the person affected option to pay in lieu of confiscation-

(a) in cases where the goods are taxable under this Act, in addition to the tax recoverable, a sum of money not exceeding one thousand rupees or double the amount of tax recoverable, whichever is greater; and

(b) in other cases, a sum of money not exceeding one thousand rupees.