Section 5 in The Meghalaya Maintenance Of Public Order Act, 1947
5. Imposition of collective fines on inhabitants of any area.
(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.(2)The State Government or any officer empowered in this behalf by the State Government by general or special order may exempt any person or class or section of such inhabitants from liability to pay any portion of such fine.(3)The District Magistrate, after such enquiry as he may deem necessary, shall apportion such fine among the inhabitants who are liable collectively to pay it and such apportionment shall be made according to the District Magistrate's judgement of the respective means of such of inhabitants.(4)In any such apportionment the District Magistrate may assign a portion of such fine to a joint or undivided family to be payable by it.(5)The portion of such fine payable by any person (including a Hindu and undivided family) may be recovered -(a)in the manner provided by the Code of imposed by a court as it such portion were fine imposed by the District Magistrate acting as a Court;Provided that the State Government may in lieu of the rules referred to in sub-section (2) of section 386 of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, make rules under this Act regulating the manner in which warrants under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of the said section of the said Code are to be executed, and for summary determination of any claims made by any person other than the person liable to pay the fine in respect of any property attached in execution of the warrant; or(b)as areas of land revenue.
