Powers of Insecticide Inspectors

Section 21 of the Insecticides Act, 1968 deals with powers of Insecticide Inspectors. An Insecticide Inspector shall have power-- (a) to enter and search, at all reasonable times and with such assistance, if any, as he considers necessary, any premises in which he has reason to believe that an offence under this Act or the rules made thereunder has been or is being or is about to be The Act came into force on 01 Mar 1971.

(1) An Insecticide Inspector shall have power--

(a) to enter and search, at all reasonable times and with such assistance, if any, as he considers necessary, any premises in which he has reason to believe that an offence under this Act or the rules made thereunder has been or is being or is about to be committed, or for the purpose of satisfying himself that the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder or the conditions of any certificate of registration or licence issued thereunder are being complied with;

(b) to require the production of, and to inspect, examine and make copies of, or take extracts from, registers, records or other documents kept by a manufacturer, distributor, carrier, dealer or any other person in pursuance of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder and seize the same, if he has reason to believe that all or any of them, may furnish evidence of the commission of an offence punishable under this Act or the rules made thereunder;

(c) to make such examination and inquiry as he thinks fit in order to ascertain whether the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder are being complied with and for that purpose stop any vehicle;

(d) to stop the distribution, sale or use of an insecticide which he has reason to believe is being distributed, sold or used in contravention of the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder, for a specified period not exceeding ¹ [thirty days], or unless the alleged contravention is such that the defect may be removed by the possessor of the insecticide, seize the stock of such insecticide;

(e) to take samples of any insecticide and send such samples for analysis to the Insecticide Analyst for test in the prescribed manner; and

(f) to exercise such other powers as may be necessary for carrying out the purposes of this Act or the rules made thereunder.

² [(2) The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), shall, as far as may be, apply to any search or seizure under this Act as they apply to any search or seizure made under the authority of a warrant issued under section 94 of the said Code.]

(3) An Insecticide Inspector may exercise the powers of a police officer under ³ [section 42 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974)], for the purpose of ascertaining the true name and residence of the person from whom a sample is taken or an insecticide is seized.

Section 21, The Insecticides Act, 1968 (Act 46 of 1968).