34. Power to search suspected persons and to seize documents

(1) If any officer of Enforcement authorised in this behalf by the Central Government, by general or special order, has reason to believe that any person has secreted about his person or in anything under his possession, ownership or control any documents which will be useful for, or relevant to, any investigation or proceeding under this Act, he may search that person or such thing and seize such documents.

(2) When any officer of Enforcement is about to search any person under the provisions of this section, the officer of

Enforcement shall, if such person so requires, take such person without unnecessary delay to the nearest gazetted officer of Enforcement superior in rank to him or a magistrate.

(3) If such requisition is made, the officer of Enforcement may detain the person making it until he can bring him before the gazetted officer of Enforcement or the magistrate referred to in sub-section (2).

(4) The gazetted officer of Enforcement or the magistrate before whom any such person is brought shall, if he sees no reasonable ground for search, forthwith discharge the person but otherwise shall direct that search be made.

(5) Before making a search under the provisions of this section, the officer of Enforcement shall call upon two or more persons to attend and witness the search and may issue an order in writing to them or any of them so to do; and the search shall be made in the presence of such persons and a list of all documents seized in the course of such search shall be prepared by such officer and signed by such witnesses.

(6) No female shall be searched by any one excepting a female.