- Any officer or person exercising powers under this Act, who -(a)without reasonable ground of suspicion, enters or searches or causes to be searched, any closed place ; or(b)vexatiously and unnecessarily seizes the property of any person on the pretence of seizing or searching for anything liable to confiscation under this Act ; or(c)vexatiously and unnecessarily detains, searches or arrests any person ; or(d)maliciously and falsely lays information leading to a search, seizure, detention or arrest ; or(e)in any other way maliciously exceeds his lawful powers, shall be punished [with [***] [Substituted 'with imprisonment' by Tamil Nadu Act No. 9 of 1979.] imprisonment] which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both.
