[53. Punishment.---(1) Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 17 of this Act or any rule made thereunder shall be punishable with a fine which may extend up to ten lakh rupees in respect of each offence and in the case of a continuing failure, with an additional fine which shall not be less than one thousand rupees but may extend to fifty thousand rupees for every day during which the failure continues after conviction of the first such offence.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (46 of 2023), any competent court may accept a sum of ten lakh rupees for compounding of the offence from any person who committed or who is reasonably suspected of having committed an offence under sub-section (1).
(3) On payment of the sum of money in accordance with sub-section (2), no proceedings shall be instituted or continued against such a person in any criminal court.
(4) The acceptance of the sum of money by a competent court for compounding an offence in accordance with sub-section (2) shall be deemed to be an amount of an acquittal within the meaning of section 337 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 (46 of 2023).
(5) The Compounding of an offence under sub-section (2) shall be allowed only once for any person.]