(1) The State Government may sanction the acceptance from any person whose licence, permit, pass or authorisation is liable to be cancelled or suspended under the provisions of this Act, or who is reasonably suspected of having committed an offence under section 63, section 64, section 68, section 69 or section 74, of a sum of money in lieu of such cancellation or suspension or by way of compensation for the offence which may have been committed, as the case may be; and in all cases in which any property, other than the intoxicant, hemp, mhowra flowers or molasses has been seized as liable to confiscation under this Act, may release the same on payment of the value thereof as estimated by the State Government or such officer as the State Government may authorise in this behalf:
Provided that where a person, who is reasonably suspected of having committed an offence under section 63, or section 68 is not the holder of a licence, permit, pass or authorisation granted under this Act, or a person in the employ of such holder or a person acting with his express or implied permission on his behalf, the sum of money which may be accepted from such person by way of compensation, shall not exceed five hundred rupees.
(2) On the payment by such person of such sum of money or such value or both, as the case may be, such person, if in custody, shall be set at liberty and the property seized may be released and if any proceedings shall have been instituted against such person in any Criminal Court, the composition shall be held to amount to an acquittal and in no case shall any further proceedings be taken against such person or property with reference to the same facts.