Powers to order production of accounts and powers of entry, inspection etc
(1) Any officer prescribed by the Government in this behalf may, for the purposes of this Act, require any dealer to produce before him the accounts, registers, records and other documents, and to furnish any other information relating to his business.
(2) All accounts, registers, records and other documents maintained by a dealer in the course of his business, the goods in his possession, and his offices, shops, godowns, vessels or vehicles shall be open to inspection, at all reasonable times, by such officer:
Provided that no residential accommodation not being a place of business-cum-residence shall be entered into and searched by such officer except on the authority of a search warrant issued by a Magistrate having jurisdiction over the area, and all searches under this sub-section shall, so far as may be, be made in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.
(3) If any such officer has reason to suspect that any dealer is attempting to evade the payment of any tax, fee or other amount due from him under this Act, he may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, seize such accounts, registers, records or other documents of the dealer as he may consider necessary, and shall give the dealer a receipt for the same. The accounts, registers, records and documents so seized shall be retained by such officer only for so long as may be necessary for their examination and for any inquiry or proceeding under this Act.
(4) Any such officer shall, for the purposes of sub-section (2) or sub-section (3), also have power to enter and search any office, shop, godown, vessel, vehicle, building or place belonging to any other dealer or any other person, if such officer has reason to believe that a dealer keeps, or is keeping any of his goods, accounts, registers, records or other documents in such office, shop, godown, vessel, vehicle, building or place.
Explanation.- It shall be open to the Government to prescribe different classes of officers for the purpose of taking action under sub-sections (1), (2) and (3).