Powers of entry and seizure

(1) Any officer authorized in this behalf by the Government may, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.— (a) enter upon any land in a controlled area in which he knows or has reason to believe that any prohibited variety of cotton has been or is being cultivated in contravention of a notification under section 3, sub-section (1), uproot such cotton, or cause it to be uprooted, and seize the cotton so uprooted ; (b) enter upon or into any land, building, ship, vessel, vehicle or place in a controlled area, in which he knows or has reason to believe that any variety of standard cotton mixed with any other variety of standard cotton or any prohibited variety of cotton, whether mixed with any variety of standard cotton or not, is kept in contravention of a notification under section 3, sub-section (1), and seize such cotton. (2) (a) Every officer seizing any cotton under sub-section (1) shall forthwith— (i) take a sample of the cotton seized, separate it then and there into three equal parts and securely pack and seal each of them with his seal in the presence of the occupier or person in charge of the land, building, ship, vessel, vehicle or place on or in which such seizure was made and of two witnesses and in case the occupier or person aforesaid wishes to seal them, they shall also be sealed with his seal; and (ii) subject to any rules made under section 15, send one of the sealed packages to the Cotton Specialist authorized by the Government to receive it, for examination and report to the Director, retain another such package for his own use and deliver the third sealed package to the occupier or person aforesaid. (b) The officer referred to in clause (a) shall have discretion either to entrust the remainder of the seized cotton to the occupier or person aforesaid or to make other arrangements for its safe custody. If the officer decides to entrust the cotton to the occupier or person aforesaid, such occupier or person shall take charge of the same and shall give an undertaking in writing to produce the said cotton before any Court when required to do so by the said officer.