(1) A pcrson shall bc g u i l ~ y of an electoral oficrcflcc if at any omcr clccrion he- oKcncrls and penalties [a) iraudulently dclaccs or fraudulen~ly dcslroys any nomination ~hcrcror.
paper; or
(b) fnudulenrly dcfaccs, destroys or removcs any list, nolice or otherdmumcnt a1fixcd by orunder heaurhoriry ofareturning orficer; or
(c) fraudulently defaces orfraudulcntly destroys any ballot pnpcr or the official mark on any ballol pnpcr or any declarauon of j d c n ~ i ~ y ar official cnvelopc used in conncclion with voting;
or
(d) w i ~ h o u ~ d u c authority supplics any ballor paper to any pcrson;
or
(e) fraudulently puts into any ballor box anything olhcr thin the balIot papcr which he is aulhoriscd by law to put in; or If) without due aulhorily dcswoys, takes, opens or orhenvise interrurcs with any ballot box or ball01 papers [hen i n usc For the purposes of the election; or
(g) fraudulcnlly or withour duc authority, as the casu may be, alrempts to do any of ~hc iotcgoing ac!s or rvilhlly nids or ahers [hc doing of an!, such acts.
The West Bengal hcol Bodies (Electoral Oflerlces atrd Miscellatreorrs Provisio~rs) Act. 1952.
[West Ben. Act ': (2) Any person guilty of an electoral orfcncc under [his section shall-
(a) i T hc is a re~urning officer or a presiding officer at a polling station orany other officer or clcrkcmpIoycd on official duty i n connection wirh [he clcction, be punishable with imprisonmcnl for a tcm which may extend to two ycws or w i ~ h Iinc or wilh bolh;
(b) if he is Any othcr pcrson, be punishable with imprisonment for n tcnn which may extend LO six months or ivj th fine or with both.
(3) For he purposes of [his scction, a person shall be deemed to bc on official duly if his duly i s to takc part in [he conducr oran clcction or pan ofan election including the counting of voles or ID Bc responsible afier an elcc~ion lor the used ball01 papers and othcr documcms in conneclion wirh such elccBon, bul the expression "official duly" shall not include any duly imposed otherwise than by or underthe 'Ithe Bengal Municipal Act, 1932, '[Ben. Act XV of 1932. or the Calcutta Municipal Corporation Act, 1980. or the Howrah Ben, Municipal Corporation Aci, 1980.1 A C ~ LIX o f
1980.
(4) An oflencc punishable underclausc (b) of sub-sccrion (2) shall be w e s l Ben.
Act LVIII of . cognizable. 19801.
Pmsccution 13. (1) If the Compctcnl Authority specilicd in sub-secdon (2) has regwjing ccnun reason to bclicvt: hat any offencepunishablc undcr section 5 or section I0 O~(C"CCS. or undcr cIausz (a) of sub-seclion (2) of section 12 has been committed il shall be Ihe duty of the Compctcnt Authority to cause such enquiries to be made and such proseculions lo be insututed as the circurnslanccs of h e casc may appcar to him to require.
(2) The Competcnr Aulhority for the purpose of sub-section ( I ) shall bc-
(a) in reference lo an clechn ?* " * * * under [he Bengal Municipal Act, 1932 "or undcr h e Chandernagore w,,, 8,".
Municipal Act, 19551, the District Magistrate; and Act X V l of
1955.
'Thc words md figurrs within thc squarc bmke ls wirh the rlurgind rcrercnces were subsli~u~cd for ihc wordsand figures "IheBcngal Locd Scll-Covernmcn~ Act of 1885 or be Cdcu~taMunicipd Ad, 1923.0; rhe Bcngal Municipal Acl, 1932, or Ihc C;llcu~iaMunicipd Act. 195 1." wilh ~ n q i n d rclerrnces "Ben. Act 111 or 1885. Ben. Act 111 01 1923. Bcn. Act XV of 1932. Wcsi Bcn. Acr XXXIII of 1951 ." by s. 5 of rhc Wesl Brngf h a 1 Bodics (Electonl Orrxcls and Misccllancous Provisions) (Aincnd!i~cnt) Act, 1984 (Wesf Ben. Acl XXVl of 19B4).
-7hc words and figures "under theBengal Local Self-Covemmenl AcloT IS85 of' were omitled by s. 6(1). ibid.
These workand figurcswcreinscned by 5 .60f thc War BcngalLocdBodics (Elcclod Offcoccs md Miscellaneous Provisions) (Arncndmcnt) Acr. 1956 (Wcsr Bcn. Acr XXIV of 1956).
The West Betrtal Local Bodies (Elecroral Offe~lces arzd Miscellaneo~rs Provisions) Act, 1952.
(Sections 14-16.)
West Bw, Act LTX or
1980.
Wesi Ben.
Act L V l l l of
1980.
(b) in reference to an eleclion '[the Calcutta Municipal Corporation Acl, 1980 orthe Howrah Municipal Corporation Act, 1980],-
(i) theSrare Govcrnment,inrespect ofan offencecornmi ticd by a Rcgistcring Aulhority Z[or election authori~y J ,
(ii) h e Regislering Aulhority 3 [ ~ r election aurhori~y]. in respcd o f an oCfcncecommirtcd by any person appoinlcd by him io perform any duty in connection with the prcparalion or revision or an electoral roll, and
(iii) the EIection Officer 4 [ ~ r election auihority] authoriscd to appoin~ returning officers, presiding officers and polling officers, in respccr of an offence commiucd by a person other than apcrson referred to insub-clauses (i) and (ii).
(3) Na coun shall lake cognizance of any offence punishabIe under seclion 5 or scction 10 or under clausc (a) of sub-section (2) of section 12 unlcss thcre is a complain1 madc by order of, or under aulhority from, the Competent Aulhori~y a rercrrud lo in sub-sections (I) and (2).
14. A pcrson convicted of an offence punishable under section 1 I or Disqualificaclause (b) of sub-seaion (2) of reclion 12 shall, for a period of six years f:{!FIL hc from the dare of rhe conviction. bc disqualified for voting or for standing ~Icction.
as a candidale at any election.
Ben, Acl XV 15. In scction 35 of h e Bengal Municipal Act, 1932. afier the words, Amendment of 1932. of scc~ion 35 hnckcu and figures "seclions 28 to 33 (bolh inclusive)", rhe words, oIBengd bnckcts and figures "of this Act or or an offence punishable under sccdon Act XV or
1932.
4 or seclion 9 of the West Bengal Local Bodics (Elec~oml Oircnces and Miscellaneous Provisions) Aci, 1952", shall be inscrtcd.
16. The provisions ofsecBons 28 lo 34 (boh inclusive) of the Bengal A pliwtion P . Municipal Act, 1932, shall not apply ro cases to which h e provisions of O Ihc h i s Act may be applicable.
'The words and figuru wirhin h c s q u m brackets wcre substirured Tor thc words and iigurcs "undcr thc Calcuna Municipal Act. 1923 or thc CalcutraMunicipd Act. 1951" by s.
6(?)(a) of thc \Vesl Bcngd L o d Bodics (Elccmnl OKcnccsmd Miscrllmcous Pmvisions (Amendment) Act. 1984 (Wal Bcn. Acr XXVl of 1984).
:The words within thc squm bnckctr; wcre inserted by s. 6(2)(b), ;bill.
'The words wirhin the squm bnckers wcrc inscncd by s. 6(2)(c), ibid- 'Thc words within the square bnckcE wcrc inscncd by s. 6(l)(d), ibid.
The Wesr Be~~gal Local Bodies (Elecroral Offences and Mixcellaneorrs Provisio~u) Act, 1952.
[Wcst Ben. Act X of 1952.1 : I , . . .
Savings. 17. Any powcr exercised, any acliod taken or anything whatsoever , . . - donc or nny penalry incurrcd or any punishmcntawarded or any proceeding commcnccd under h e Wcsl Bengal Local Bodies (Elecioral 0 ffcnccs and :'::- Misccllancous Provisions) 0rdinance,'1952, shall, on the said Ordinance ,952.
ceasing to operare, bc deemed ro havc been cxercised, takcn, done, incurrcd. awarded or commenced undcr thc corresponding provision of lhis Act as if this Act had comn~enced on the 24th day of March, 1952.