Suspension and cancellation of licence.

(1) The Controller may, if he has any reasonable cause to believe that the holder of any licence issued, renewed or continued under this Act has made any statement in, or in relation to, any application for the issue or renewal of the licence which is incorrect or false in any material particular or has contravened any provision of the Central Act or any rule made thereunder or of this Act or any rule made thereunder, suspend such licence, pending the completion of any inquiry or trial against the holder of such licence: Provided that no such licence shall be suspended unless the holder thereof has been given a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against the proposed action. (2) The Controller may if he is satisfied after making such inquiry as he may think fit that the holder of a licence has made a false or incorrect statement of the nature referred to in sub-section (1), or has contravened any law referred to in that sub-section, cancel such licence: Provided that no such licence shall be cancelled unless the holder thereof has been given a reasonable opportunity of showing cause against the proposed action. (3) Every person whose licence has been suspended shall, immediately after such suspension, stop functioning as such licensee and shall not resume business as such licensee until the order of such suspension has been vacated. (4) Every licensee whose licence has been suspended or cancelled shall, immediately after such suspension or cancellation, as the case may be, surrender such licence to the authority by which such licence was issued. (5) Every licensee whose licence has been cancelled shall, within a period of thirty days from the date of such cancellation (or within such further period, not exceeding three months from such date, as the Controller may, on sufficient cause being shown, allow), dispose of the weights or measures which were in his possession, custody or control on the date of such cancellation, and in the event of his failure to do so, the Controller or any other officer authorised by him, in writing, in this behalf may seize and dispose of the same and distribute the proceeds thereof in such manner as may be prescribed.