Penalty for abetment of escape of persons arrested, etc.

Any officer or person who unlawfully releases or abets the escape of any person arrested under this Act or abets the commission of any offence against this Act, or acts in any manner inconsistent with his duty for the purpose of enabling any person to do anything whereby any of the provisions of this Act may be evaded or contravened or the excise revenue may be defrauded and any officer of any other Department referred to in section 49 who abets the commission of any offence, against this Act in any place, shall, on conviction, for every such offence, be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to three years and with fine which shall not be less than five thousand rupees but which may extend to fifty thousand rupees.