Section 5(1) in The Meghalaya Maintenance Of Public Order Act, 1947
(1)If is appears to the State Government that the inhabitants of any area are concerned in or abetting the Commission of offences prejudicially affecting the public safety or the maintenance of public order; or the maintenance of supplies or services necessary to the life of the community, or harbouring person concerned in the commission of such offence or are falling to render all the assistance, in their power to discover or apprehend the offender or offenders or are suppressing materials, evidence of the commission of such offences, the State Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, impose a collective fine on the inhabitants of that area:Provided that an imposition of a collective fine by any authority on whom the power may, have been delegated under this Act may, be made by publication of the order imposing the fine in any such manner as such authority may consider best calculated to bring the order to the notice of the inhabitants of the area concerned.
