Penalty on Excise Officer making vexatious search seizure, detention or arrest and refusing to do duty

(1) Any Excise Officer or other person who vexatiously and without reasonable ground for suspicion: (a) enters or searches or causes to be entered or searched any closed place under colour of exercising any power conferred by this Act, or (b) seizes the moveable property of any person on the pretext of seizing or searching for any article liable to confiscation under this Act, or (c) searches, detains or arrests any person, or (d) in any other way exceeds his lawful powers under this Act, shall, on conviction be punished with fine which may extend to Rs. 10,000. (2) Any Excise Officer who, without lawful excuse shall cease or refuse to perform, or withdraw himself from the duties of his office, unless expressly allowed to do so in writing by the Excise Commissioner, or unless he shall have given to his official superior officer two months' notice in writing of his intention to do so, or who shall be guilty of cowardice, shall on conviction, be punished with imprisonment, which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to Rs. 10,000, or with both.