Panchayat:Repo18/vol2-page0237

Sec. 24 THE KERALA CATTLE TRESPASS ACT, 1961 237 account of fines and the unclaimed proceeds of the sale of cattle shall be credited to the fund of the local authority. (2) The salaries allowed to pound-keepers and the expenses incurred for the construction and maintenance of pounds or for any other purpose connected with the carrying out of the provisions of this Act shall be paid by the local authority. 18. Officers and Pound-keepers not to purchase cattle at sales under this Act.- (1) No Police Officer, or other officer or pound-keeper appointed under the provisions herein contained and no member of the local authority under whose control the pound is, shall directly, or indirectly, purchase any cattle at a sale under this Act. (2) No pound-keeper shall release ordeliver any impounded cattle otherwise than inaccordance with the provisions of this Chapter, unless such release or delivery is ordered bythe local authority CHAPTER V Complaints of Illegal Seizure and Detention 19. Power to make complaints- Any person whose cattle have been seized under this Act, or having been so seized, having been detained in contravention of this Act, may, at any time within ten days from the date of seizure, make a complaint to the local authority). 20. Procedure on complaints.- (1) The complaint shall be made by the complainant in person or by an agent personally acquainted with the circumstances. It may be either in Writing or verbal. If it be verbal, the substance of it shall be taken down in writing by Secretary of the local authority. (2) If Secretary of the local authority on examining the complainant or his agent, sees reason to believe the complaint to be well-founded, he shall summon the person complained against and make an enquiry into the Case. 21. Compensation for illegal seizure or detention and release of cattle.- (1) If the seizure or detention be adjudged illegal Secretary of the local authority shall award to the complainant for the loss caused by the seizure or detention, reasonable compensation not exceeding one hundred rupees, to be paid by the person who made the seizure or detained the cattle, together with all fines paid and expenses incurred by the complainant in procuring the release of the cattle. (2) If the cattle have not been released, the Magistrate shall, besides awarding such compensation, order their release and direct that the fines and expenses leviable under this Act shall be paid by the person who made the seizure or detained the cattle. 22. Recovery of compensation.- The compensation, fines and expenses mentioned in Section 21 may be recovered as if it were arrears of public revenue due on land). CHAPTER W Penalties 23. Penalty for forcibly opposing the seizure of cattle or rescuing the same-Whoever forcibly opposes the seizure of cattle liable to be seized under this Act, and whoever rescues the same after seizure, either from a pound or from any person taking or about to take them to a pound, such person being near at hand and acting under the powers conferred by this Act, shall, on conviction before a Magistrate, be punished with imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months, or with fine not exceeding five hundred rupees, or with both. 24. Penalty for damage caused to land or crops or public roads by cattle.- Any owner, or keeper, or attendant of cattle, who causes or Suffers cattle to Stray about without a