(1) Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with all or any of the provisions contained in this Act or any rule or order
1. Substituted by the Act No. 16 of 1982, S.9.
made thereunder shall be punishable with fine 1[which shall be not less than five hundred rupees] and any Court trying any such contravention or failure may direct that any 1[silkworm seed or cocoon] or any vessel, receptacle, apparatus, package or covering containing the same in respect of which the Court is satisfied that such contravention or failure as occurred shall be forfeited to the Government.
2[(2) Any person, who contravenes the provisions of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 4-B or sub-section (2) thereof, shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to three months or with fine which shall not be less than five hundred rupees but which shall not exceed one thousand rupees or with both.]
3[7A. Compounding of offences - (1) The Director or such officer as may be prescribed may-
(a) accept, by way of composition, from any person who committed or in respect of whom it can be reasonably inferred that he has committed any offence under the provisions of this Act or the rules made thereunder, such sum of money not exceeding the amount of fine payable for such offence, as may be determined by the Director or such officer;
(b) in all cases in which any property has been seized as liable to confiscation under this Act, release the same on payment of the value thereof as estimated by the Director or such officer.
(2) On payment by such person the sum of money or the value or both as the case may be, the person, if in custody, shall be set at liberty, and all the property seized may be released and no proceedings shall be instituted against such person in any criminal court. If proceedings in any criminal court have been instituted against such person in respect of the offence, the acceptance of composition shall be deemed to amount to an acquittal; and in no case, any further proceedings shall be taken against such person or property with reference to the same act or in respect of the same offence.]