Powers of Inspectors and other officers

(2) Every pawnbroker shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code. (3) (a) A Magistrate of the first-class in the mufassal or a Presidency Magistrate in the Presidency-town may, on receiving a report from an Inspector or from any police officer not below the rank of sub-inspector that (i) any person carries on business as a pawnbrokqr without a licence at any place within the jurisdiction of such Magistrate, or (ii) any pawnbroker carries on business in contravention of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder or the conditions of the licence granted under this Act, at any Place within the jurisdiction of such Magistrate, issue a warrant empowering the Inspector or, as the case may be, such police officer to enter such place with such assistants as he considers necessary and Inspect the books, accounts, records, files, documents, safes, vaults and pledges in such premises. On receiving such warrant, the Inspector or the police officer may enter the place and inspect the books, accounts, records, files, documents, safes, vaults and pledges la such premises and may take to his office for further Investigation such books, accounts, records, files and documents as he considers necessary : provided that if the Inspector or the police officer removes from the premises any books, accounts, records, files and documents, he shall give to the person in chatgo of the place, a receipt describing the books, acoouats, records, files and documents so removed by him . Provided further that within tweatpfour hours of the removal of the books, accounts, records, fitcs and documents fiom the premises, the Inspector or the police ofIicer shall either return them to the person from whose custody they were removed or produce them in the court of the Magistrate who issued the warrant. Such Magistiate may return the books, accounts, records, files and documents or any of them to the person from whose custody they were removed by the Inspector or the police officer, afte~ taking from such person such security as the Magistrate considers necessary for the production of the books, accounts, records, files and documents when required whether by the Inspector, the police officer or the court, or may pass such other orders as to their disposal as appear just and convenient to the Magistrate. (b) An Inspector shall have authotity to require any person whose testimony he may require regarding any loan or pledge or any other transaction of a pawnbroker to attend before him or to produce or cause to be produced any dociunent and to examine such person on oath. (4) An Inspector may apply for assistance to an officer-in-charge of a police station and take police officers to accompany and assist the Inspector in performing his duties under this Act. Nothing contained in this Act shall be deemed to apply to pawnbrokers, that is to say, to persons who carry on the business of taking goods and chattels in pawn for a loan. Act, in sub-section (1). for the words " witb :- \ ;-,,I a', ol red rupees", the following stali t c subslilutc4: term not exceeding six monlhs but nt t less Provided that the court may, in addition to such imprisonmont, impose .Baa nhiah may extend to one thousand rupees : Provided further that the court may, for any adequate and spacial: rea:soqs, to, be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a fdrm of less than three months but not less than one month.".