¹ [57A. Punishment for officers below the rank of Commandant.--The Director-General or an officer not below the rank of Deputy Inspector-General who is appointed as Commander of a region or such other officer as is, with the consent of the Central Government, specified by the Director-General, may in the prescribed manner proceed against an officer below the rank of Commandant, who is charged with an offence under this Act and award such person one or more of the following punishments, that is to say,--
         (a) forfeiture of seniority of rank or in the case of any of them whose promotion depends upon length of service, forfeiture of service for the purpose of promotion, for a period not exceeding twelve months, but subject to the right of the accused, previous to the award, to elect to be tried by a Coast Guard Court;
         (b) forfeiture of seniority of rank, or in the case of any of them whose promotion depends upon length of service, forfeiture of service for the purpose of promotion for a period not exceeding six months, but subject to the right of the accused, previous to the award, to elect to be tried by a Coast Guard Court;
         (c) mulcts of pay and allowances;
         (d) severe reprimand:
     Provided that no punishment specified in clause (a) shall be inflicted by an officer other that the Director-General:
     Provided further that no punishment specified in clause (b) shall be inflicted by an officer below the rank of Deputy Inspector-General who is appointed as the Commander of a region.]