¹[63A. Desertion and absence without leave.--If any person employed or engaged in any capacity on board a mechanically propelled vessel commits any of the following offences, he shall be liable to be punished summarily as follows:--
         (a) if he deserts from his mechanically propelled vessel, he shall be guilty of the offence of desertion and be liable to forfeit all or any of the property he leaves on board of the vessel and of wages he has then earned and also to imprisonment which may extend to three months;
         (b) if he neglects or refuses, without reasonable cause, to join him mechanically propelled vessel or to proceed on any voyage in his vessel or is absent without leave at any time within twenty-four hours of the vessel sailing from a port or ghat either at the commencement or during the progress of a voyage or is absent at any time without leave and without sufficient reason from his vessel or from his duty. he shall, if offence does not amount to desertion or is not treated as such by the master, be guilty of the offence of absence without leave and be liable to forfeit out of his wages a sum not exceeding two days' pay and in addition for every twenty-four hours of absence either a sum not exceeding six days' pay or any expenses properly incurred in hiring a substitute and also to imprisonment which may extend to two months.]