53. Prohibition authorities may be vested with powers of an Officer-in-charge of a Police-station.
(1)The State Government may by notification, invest any of the Prohibition Authorities mentioned in Sections 48, 49 and 52 of this Act, with all or any of the powers or duties conferred or imposed by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898) on the Officer-in-charge of a police-station within the meaning of the said Act, in respect of investigations, arrests, searches, seizures and detention in custody for offences under this Act, and may in such notification specify the area within which such authority shall exercise such powers :Provided that such powers shall not be conferred on any officer whose rank is lower than that of a Sub-Inspector.(2)(a)Save as in this Act otherwise expressly provided, the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898) relating to investigations, arrests, detention in custody, searches, summonses, warrants of arrest, search-warrants and the production of persons arrested shall apply so far as may be, to arrests, detentions and searches made, summonses and warrants issued, and the production of persons arrested under this Act :Provided that no search shall be deemed to be illegal by reason only of the fact that witnesses for the search were not inhabitants of the locality in which the place searched is situated.(b)For the purposes of the said provisions of the said Code, a Collector shall be deemed to be a Court.(c)Officers to whom a Collector's warrant is directed or endorsed, and officers (other than Collectors) making arrests, searches and seizures under this Act, shall, for the purpose of the said provisions of the said Code, be deemed to be Police Officers.
