Insertion of Section

-1 After Section 17-A of the Principal Act, the following shall be inserted, namely :- "17-B. Compounding of offences.- Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of this Act, an officer authorized by the State Government by notification may, subject to any general or special order of the State Government in this behalf, compound any offence committed for the first time or after expiry of a period of two years from the date of commission of the previous offence (if any), either before or after the institution of the prosecution, may impose such amount, as he may thinks fit, not exceeding the maximum amount of fine but shall also not be less than half of the maximum amount of fine for the offence as compounding fee; when the offence is compounded, -

1. (i) before the institution of the prosecution, the offender shall not be prosecuted and shall, if in custody, be set at liberty;
2. (ii) after the institution of the prosecution, the composition of an offence shall have the effect of acquittal of the accused.