Whereas it is expedient to prohibit the smoking of opium;
And whereas the previous sanction of the Governor-General for the passing of this Act required by sub-S. (3) of S. 80-A of the Government of India Act has been obtained:
It is hereby enacted as follows:
This act was extended to Manipur by the Erstwhile State of Manipur under the then Council Resolution No. 4, dated 22-13-1948, approved by the then Maharaja of Manipur, whereby the Inspectors of Excise were advised to suggest necessary modification in the terminology, etc.
It was also extended to that portion of the Khasi Jaintia Hills district which was declared to be a backward tract under S. 52-A of the Government of India Act. (See Notification No. 2807-E, dated 19-10-1928).
(1) This Act may be called the Assam Opium Smoking Act, 1927.
(2) It extends to the whole of Assam, excluding the tribal areas specified in the table appended to the Paragraph 20 of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution:
Provided that the State Government may, by notification, extend the Act to the aforesaid territories or any parts thereof with effect from such date or dates as may be specified in the notification.
In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,
(a) Opium includes prepared opium which means chandu, madak, opium dross or the scrapings from the opium pipe and every other preparation or admixture of opium which may be used for smoking;
(b) Place includes a building, house, enclosure, shop, booth, tent vessel, raft and vehicle and any part thereof;
(c) Collector means the Chief Officer in-charge of the revenue administration of district, and includes any officer whom the Government may, by notification, declare or appoint to be a Collector for the purposes of this Act.
The words prepared opium which means were inserted vide Assam Act No. 11 of 1934.
It shall be unlawful for any person to smoke opium. Any person smoking opium shall be punishable, in the case of a first conviction, with fine which may extend to fifty rupees and in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, shall be liable to imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one month, in addition to fine which may extend to fifty rupees.
If two or more persons smoke opium in company, each of them shall, irrespective of their common object, be punishable with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one month or with fine which may extend to fifty rupees or with both.
A man and his wife smoking opium together shall not be deemed to be smoking in company within the meaning of this section.
An assembly of two or more persons is designated an opium smoking assembly if the common object of the persons composing that assembly is to smoke opium or to prepare for smoking purposes.
An assembly which was not an opium smoking assembly when it was assembled may subsequently become such an assembly.
A man and his wife shall not be deemed to be an opium smoking assembly within the meaning of this section, even if their common object be to smoke opium or to prepare opium for smoking purposes.
Whoever being aware of facts which render an assembly an opium smoking assembly intentionally joins that assembly for the purpose of smoking opium, or of preparing opium for smoking or continues therein for that purpose shall be deemed to be a member of that assembly.
The presence of any opium and of any pipes or apparatus for the smoking of opium or for the preparation of opium for smoking purposes in any place where two or more persons are assembled shall be held sufficient to raise a presumption that such persons have assembled at such place for the purpose of smoking opium or of preparing opium for smoking purpose.
Whoever is a member of an opium smoking assembly shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to one month, or with fine which may extend to fifty rupees or with both.
Whoever opens, keeps or uses any place or permits any place to be opened, kept or used for the purposes of an opium smoking assembly, or has the care or management of, or in any way assists in conducting the business of, any place used or kept for the purposes aforesaid shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.
Whoever possesses or deals in prepared opium shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.
This section was substituted vide Assam Act No. II of 1934.
Whoever having been previously convicted of an offence under S. 8, 9 or 10 is again convicted of an offence under either of these sections shall be liable to twice the punishment which might be imposed on a first conviction.
If a Magistrate of the first class upon information received and after such enquiry (if any) as he considers necessary has reason to believe that the smoking of opium is going on or is permitted in any place or that any place is used for the purposes of an opium smoking assembly he may after recording his reasons issue a warrant to an officer of the Excise department not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector or of the Police Department not below the rank of a Sub-Inspector or a officer-in-charge of a police station authorizing him
(a) to enter such place by day or night with any person whose assistance such officer may consider necessary;
(b) to search all parts of such place in which such officer has reason to believe that any opium or any apparatus for the preparation of opium or for opium smoking is concealed and all or any person whom he may find in such place;
(c) to arrest any person found in such place whom he has reason to believe to be guilty of an offence under this Act;
(d) to seize all opium and apparatus for opium smoking or for the preparation of opium which may be found in such place.
In this section the word Sub-Inspector was substituted for the words an-Inspector , vide Assam Act No. V of 1932.
The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, as amended shall apply to the execution of warrants issued and searches made under S. 12.
Whenever any officer makes any arrest or seizure under this Act, he shall, within forty-eight hours next after such arrest or seizure, make a full report of all particulars thereof to his immediate official superior and every person arrested and thing seized shall be forwarded without unnecessary delay and subject to the provisions herein contained as to bail to the officer by whom the warrant was issued, or to the nearest police station.
When any person arrested under this Act is prepare to furnish bail he shall be released on bail or, at the discretion of the officer making the arrest on his own bond.
Every officer of the Police and Land Revenue Departments, every village headman or gaonbura and every village chaukidar shall be bound to give reasonable aid to any Excise or Police Officer in carrying out the provisions of this Act upon notice given and request made.
On the conviction of any person for an offence under this Act the Court may order that any opium or any instrument or apparatus in respect of, or by means of which such offence has been committed or any receptacle, package or covering in which such opium, instrument, or apparatus was found any other contents of such receptacle, package or covering shall be confiscated or destroyed.
No Magistrate shall take cognizance of an offence punishable under this Act except on the complaint or report of the Collector or an officer of the Excise Department not below the rank of Sub-Inspector or of the Police Department not below the rank of Sub-Inspector or of a mauzadar.
The word Sub-Inspector was substituted for the words an-Inspector , vide Assam Act No. V of 1932.
No suit shall lie in any civil court against the Government or any Collector or officer or the Excise or Police Department or a mauzadar for damages for any act in good faith done or ordered to be done in pursuance of this Act.
No civil court shall try any suit against Government or any Collector or officer or the Excise or Police Department or a mauzadar in respect of anything done or alleged to have been done in pursuance of this Act, except with the previous sanction of the State Government, no Magistrate shall take cognizance of any charge made against any person under this Act, unless the suit or prosecution is instituted within one year in the case of a suit and six months in the case of a prosecution after the date of the act complained of.
(a) Whenever two or more persons are prosecuted for any offence under this Act, the Magistrate may, if, for any reasons to be recorded by him he thinks fit, tender to may accused a pardon on condition of his making a full and true disclosure of all facts connected with the offence.
(b) Such accused person shall, on accepting the tender, be a competent witness in the case and shall not be liable to punish so long as that pardon remains in force.
(1) The State Government may make rules to carry out the objects of this Act.
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the force going power such rules may
(a) regulate the disposal of the things confiscated under this Act;
(b) prescribe and regulate the payment of rewards to officers and informers.
1. Published in the Assam Gazette of the 9th November, 1927.