Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act, 1974
Section 7: Powers in relation to absconding persons
(1) If the appropriate Government has reason to believe that a person in respect of whom a detention order has been made has absconded or is concealing himself so that the order cannot be executed, that Government may—
(a) make a report in writing of the fact to a Metropolitan Magistrate or a Magistrate of the first class having jurisdiction in the place where the said person ordinarily resides; and thereupon the provisions of sections 82, 83, 84 and 85 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), shall apply in respect of the said person and his property as if the order directing that he be detained were a warrant issued by the Magistrate;
(b) by order notified in the Official Gazette direct the said person to appear before such officer, at such place and within such period as may be specified in the order; and if the said person fails to comply with such direction, he shall, unless he proves that it was not possible for him to comply therewith and that he had, within the period specified in the order, informed the officer mentioned in the order of the reason which rendered compliance therewith impossible and of his whereabouts, be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or with both.
(2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (2 of 1974), every offence under clause (b) of sub-section (1) shall be cognisable.
Source: India Code (indiacode.gov.in), the consolidated text published by the Legislative Department, Government of India. Text as updated on India Code on 15 October 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the section 7
- Pawan Gupta v. Union of India & Anr
- Fazila Sayyed v. Union of India & Ors
- Licil Antony v. State of Kerala&Anr.
- Subhash Popatlal Dave v. Union of India & Anr.
- Saeed Zakir Hussain Malik v. State of Maharashtra & Ors.
- Mukesh Tikaji Bora v. Union of India and Ors.
- Vinod K. Chawla v. U.O.I. and Ors.
- T.P. Moideen Koya v. Government of Kerala and Ors.
- Union of India and Ors. v. Diljeet Singh and Anr.
- P.M. Hari Kumar v. Union of India and Ors.
- P. U. Iqbal v. Union of India and Ors.
- M. Ahamedkutty v. Union of India & Anr.
- Bhawarlal Ganeshmalji v. State of Tamil Nadu & Anr.