1[(1) If any person contravenes any order made under Section 3,-
(a) he shall be punishable,-
(i) in the case of an order made with reference to clause (h) or clause (i) of sub-section (2) of that section, with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and shall also be liable to fine, and
(ii) in the case of any other order, with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine:
Provided that the court may, for any adequate and special reasons to be mentioned in the judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than three months;
(b) any property in respect of which the order has been contravened shall be forfeited to the Government;
(c) any package, covering or receptacle in which the property is found and any animal, vehicle, vessel or other conveyance used in carrying the property shall, if the court so orders, be forfeited to the Government.
(2) If any person to whom a direction is given under clause (b) of sub-section(4) of section 3 fails to comply with the direction, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than three months but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine:
Provided that the court may, for any adequate and special reasons to be
mentioned in the
judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than three
months.
(2A) If any person convicted of an offence under sub-clause (ii) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) or under sub-section (2) is again convicted of an offence under the same provision, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for the second and for every subsequent offence for a term which shall not be less than six months but which may extend to seven years and shall also be liable to fine:
Provided that the court may, for any adequate and special reasons to be
mentioned in the
judgment, impose a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than six
months.
(2B) For the purposes of sub-sections (1), (2) and (2A), the fact that an offence under sub-clause (ii) of clause (a) of sub-section (1) or under sub-section (2) has caused no substantial harm to the general public or to any individual shall be an adequate and special reason for awarding a sentence of imprisonment for a term of less than three months or six months, as the case may be.
2 [(3) Where a person having been convicted of an offence under sub-section (1) is again convicted convicted of an offence under that sub-section for contravention of an order in respect of an essential commodity, the court by which such person is convicted shall, in addition to any penalty which may be imposed on him under that sub-section, by order, direct that that person shall not carry on any business in that essential commodity for such period, not being less than six months, as may be specified by the Court in the Order.]
(1) Where any person, liable to-
(a) pay any amount in pursuance of any order made under section 3, or
(b) deposit any amount to the credit of any Account or Fund constituted by or in pursuance of any order made under that section,
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1. Subs. by Act 30 of 1974, s. 6, for sub-sections (1) and (2) (w.e.f. 22-6-1974).
2. Ins. by Act 36 of 1967, s. 7 (w.e.f. 30-12-1967).
3. Ins. by Act 34 of 1984, s. 2 (w.e.f. 1-7-1984)..
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makes any default in paying or depositing the whole or any part of such amount, the amount in respect of which such default has been made shall [whether such order was made before or after the commencement of the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 1984 (34 of 1984), and whether the liability of such person to pay or deposit such amount arose before or after such commencement] be recoverable by Government together with simple interest due thereon computed at the rate of 1 [fifteen per cent.] per annum from the date of such default to the date of recovery of such amount, as an arrear of land revenue 2 [or as a public demand].
(2) The amount recovered under sub-section (1) shall be dealt with in accordance with the order under which the liability to pay or deposit such amount arose.
(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force or any contract to the contrary, no court, tribunal or other authority shall grant any injunction or make any order prohibiting or restraining any Government from recovering any amount as an arrear of land revenue 2 [or as a public demand] in pursuance of the provisions of sub-section (1).
(4) If any order, in pursuance of which any amount has been recovered by Government as an arrear of land revenue 2 [or as a public demand] under subsection (1) is declared by a competent court, after giving to the Government a reasonable opportunity of being heard, to be invalid, the Government shall refund the amount so recovered by it to the person from whom it was recovered, together with simple interest due thereon, computed at the rate of 1 [fifteen per cent.] per annum, from the date of recovery of such amount to the date on which such refund is made.
Explanation.-For the purposes of this section, "Government" means the Government by which the concerned order under section 3 was made or where such order was made by an officer or authority subordinate to any Government, that Government.]
Any person who attempts to contravene, or abets a contravention of, any order made under section 3 shall be deemed to have contravened that order
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1. Subs. by Act 42 of 1986, s. 3, for "six per cent." (w.e.f. 8-9-1986).
2. Ins. by s. 3, ibid (w.e.f. 8-9-1986).
Essential Commodities Act 1955
Section 3 Powers to control production, supply, distribution, etc., of essential commodities
Section 4 Imposition of duties on State Governments, etc
Section 5 Delegation of powers
Section 6 Effect of orders inconsistent with other enactments.
Section 6A Confiscation of essential commodity
Section 6B Issue of show cause notice before confiscation of food grains, etc
Section 6D Award of confiscation not to interfere with other punishments
Section 6E Bar of jurisdiction in certain cases
Section 7A Power of Central Government to recover certain amounts as arrears of land revenue
Section 8 Attempts and abetment
Section 10 Offences by Companies
Section 10A Offences to be cognizable
Section 10C Presumption of culpable mental state
Section 11 Cognizance of offences
Section 12 Special provision regarding fine
Section 12 A Power to try summarily
Section 12B rant of injunction, etc., by civil courts
Section 13 Presumption as to orders
Section 14 Burden of proof in certain cases
Section 15 Protection of action taken under Act
Section 15A Prosecution of public servant, Section 16 Repeals and savings