Section 23:
General penalty for offences under this Act.
(1) Whoeve--
(a) in contravention of any of the provisions of Chapter I or of any of the rules made thereunder,
imports, transports, stores, produces, refines or blends any petroleum, or
(b) contravenes any rule made under section 4 or section 5, or
1[(c) being the holder or a licence issued under section 4 or a person for the time being placed by
the holder of such licence in control or in charge of any place where petroleum is being imported or
stored, or is under transport, contravenes any condition of such licence or suffers any condition of
such licence to be contravened, or]
(d) being for the time being in control or in charge of any place where petroleum is being
imported, stored, produced, refined or blended or is under transport, refuses or neglects to show to
any officer authorised under section 13 any receptacle, plant or appliance used in such place in
connection with petroleum, or in any way obstructs or fails to render reasonable assistance to such
officer during an inspection, or
(e) being for the time being in control or in charge of any place where petroleum is being
imported, transported, stored, produced, refined or blended, refuses or neglects to show to any officer
authorised under section 14 any petroleum in such place, or to give him such assistance as he may
require for the inspection of such petroleum, or refuses to allow him to take samples of the petroleum,
or
(f) being required, under section 27, to give information of an accident, fails to give such
information as so required by that section,shall be punishable 2[with simple imprisonment which may extend to one month, or with fine which may
extend to one thousand rupees, or with both].
(2) If any person, having been convicted of an offence punishable under sub-section (1), is again
guilty of any offence punishable under that sub-section, he shall be punishable for every such subsequent
offence 2[with simple imprisonment which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to
five thousand rupees, or with both].
Notes:
1. Subs. by Act 3 of 1941, s. 2, for clause (c).
2. Subs. by Act 24 of 1970, s. 14, for certain words (w.e.f. 1-8-1976)