Powers of entry and inspection

(1) The driver of a motor vehicle shall cause the vehicle to stop and remain stationary, when required so to do by any prescribed authority in order to enable the said authority to carry out any duty imposed by or under this Act and the said authority may also enter and travel in the motor vehicle for doing so. (2) A person authorised under sub-section (1) shall wear such uniform or such other distinguishing insignia as may be prescribed, may enter and inspect any place ordinarily used by the owner for garaging a vehicle or keeping accounts of his business for the purpose of seeing or verifying whether the provisions of this Act or any rules framed thereunder are being complied with and countersign any documents during the course of such inspection. (3) The prescribed authority may, in order to ensure that any provision of this Act is not being evaded by the owner of a motor vehicle, inspect and, if necessary, seize the log book from the driver of such motor vehicle and give a temporary acknowledgement therefor to the driver. (4) All accounts, registers, documents and other books of an owner of a motor vehicle shall at all reasonable times be open to inspection by the Commissioner or any other prescribed authority and the Commissioner or such authority may countersign any or all of such accounts, registers, documents and books. (5) If the Commissioner or the prescribed authority has reason to suspect that any owner of a motor vehicle is attempting to evade payment of the tax under this Act, the Commissioner or such authority may, for reasons to be recorded, seize such accounts, registers, documents or other books of such owner as may be necessary, and shall grant a receipt for the same, and retain the same only so long as may be necessary for examination thereof or for the purpose of any proceeding under this Act. (6) For the purpose of sub-section (4) and (5), the Commissioner or the prescribed authority, as the case may be, may enter any place of business of the owner of a motor vehicle.