Chapter III Unclaimed Property

Any article

found in a public place, the owner of which is not known, shall be taken charge of by any police officer who shall send them for disposal to the Collector.

1. (1) The Collector shall publish a notice in the Gazette inviting claimants to prefer claims to the article sent to him by the police under section 12 within three months from the date of publication of the notice.
2. (2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall prevent the Collector from disposing of any perishable articles, which come into his possession, at any time, either before or after the publication of the notice under sub-section (1).
3. (3) The articles referred to in sub-section (2) shall be sold in public auction in the manner prescribed, and the proceeds of the sale shall be handed over to the rightful claimants after deducting the expenses of the sale or credited to the Government if no claim is preferred within the period specified in sub-section (1).

If no claim is preferred within the period specified in sub-

section (1) of section 13, the Collector shall pass an order forfeiting the articles, other than those dealt with under sub-section (2) of the said section, to the Government, and the articles shall thereupon be sold in public auction in the manner prescribed, and the sale proceeds credited to the Government.

If a claim is preferred within the time allowed and it is not

contested, the article shall be handed over to the claimant.

In the case of a contested claim, the Collector shall refer the

matter to the court and shall be guided by the decision of the court:

Provided that nothing contained in this section shall prevent the Collector from disposing of any perishable articles which come into his possession by public auction in the manner prescribed, at any time before the decision of the court, and in that case the sale proceeds shall be handed over to the court after deducting therefrom the expenses of the sale.