Section - 213. Appointment of motor vehicles officers.
(1) The State Government may, for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act, establish a Motor Vehicles Department and appoint as officers thereof such persons as it thinks fit.
(2) Every such officer shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of the Indian Penal
Code (45 of 1860).
(3) The State Government may make rules to regulate the discharge by officers of the Motor Vehicles
Department of their functions and in particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing
power to prescribe the uniform to be worn by them, the authorities to which they shall be subordinate, the
duties to be performed by them, the powers (including the powers exercisable by police officers under
this Act) to be exercised by them, and the conditions governing the exercise of such powers.
(4) The Central Government may, having regard to the objects of the Act, by notification in the
Official Gazette, prescribe the minimum qualifications which the said officers or any class thereof shall
possess for being appointed as such.
(5) In addition to the powers that may be conferred on any officer of the Motor Vehicles Department
under sub-section (3), such officer as may be empowered by the State Government in this behalf shall
also have the power to,-
(a) make such examination and inquiry as he thinks fit in order to ascertain whether the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder are being observed;
(b) with such assistance, if any, as he thinks fit, enter, inspect and search any premises which is in the occupation of a person who, he has reason to believe, has committed an offence under this Act or
in which a motor vehicle in respect of which such offence has been committed is kept:
Provided that,-
(i) any such search without a warrant shall be made only by an officer of the rank of a gazetted officer;
(ii) where the offence is punishable with fine only the search shall not be made after sunset
and before sunrise;
(iii) where the search is made without a warrant, the gazetted officer concerned shall record in writing the grounds for not obtaining a warrant and report to his immediate superior that such search has been made;
(c) examine any person and require the production of any register or other document maintained
in pursuance of this Act, and take on the spot or otherwise statements of any person which he may consider necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act;
(d) seize or take copies of any registers or documents or portions thereof as he may consider
relevant in respect of an offence under this Act which he has reason to believe has been committed;
(e) launch prosecutions in respect of any offence under this Act and to take a bond for ensuring the attendance of the offender before any court;
(f) exercise such other powers as may be prescribed:
Provided that no person shall be compelled under this sub-section to answer any question or make
any statement tending to incriminate himself.
(6) The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974) shall, so far as may be apply
to any search or seizure under this section as they apply to any search or seizure under the authority of
any warrant issued under section 94 of that Code.
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