23. Control of use of loudspeakers, megaphones, etc.—
(1)The State Government may, for the purposes of preventing or suppressing subversive act s, by general or special order, prohibit, restrict, regulate or impose conditions on—(i)the use or operation in any street, square, public place or other open space of any apparatus for amplifying the human voice, or any reproduction of the human voice, such as a megaphone, or an electrically operated loudspeaker; and(ii)the use, operation or driving in any street, square, public place or other open space of any vehicle which carries or has attached to it any apparatus referred to in clause (i).(2)Any police officer may take such steps and use such force as may be reasonably necessary for securing compliance with any order made under this section and may seize any apparatus or vehicle in respect of which any contravention of any such order has in the opinion of such officer occurred:Provided that any vehicle or apparatus seized by a police officer under this sub-section shall be conveyed without delay before a Magistrate who may give such directions as to its temporary custody as he thinks fit, but if no prosecution is instituted for a contravention of the order in respect of the vehicle or apparatus seized within a period which is in the opinion of the Magistrate reasonable, he shall direct its return to the person from whom it was seized.(3)If any person contravenes any order made under this section, he shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both, and any Court trying such contravention may direct that any apparatus or vehicle in respect of which the Court is satisfied that the order has been contravened shall be forfeited to the State.
