The Navy Act,1957
Section 146. Disposal property regarding which offence is committed
(1) When the trial before any court-martial is concluded, the court may make such order as it thinks fit for the disposal by destruction, confiscation or delivery to any person claiming to be entitled to possession thereof or otherwise of any property or document produced before it or in its custody or regarding which an offence appears to have been committed or which has been used for the commission of any offence:
Provided that except in the case of property which is subject to speedy or natural decay such property or document shall, if so required by regulations, made under this Act, be kept in custody until the orders of the Chief of the Naval Staff are known.
(2) An order under sub-section (1) shall not be carried out for one month, unless the property is subject to speedy or natural decay.
(3) When an order under this section cannot be conveniently carried out by persons in the naval service, a copy of such order certified by the Chief of the Naval Staff or an officer prescribed in this behalf, may be sent to a magistrate within whose jurisdiction the property is for the time being situate and such magistrate shall thereupon take steps to cause the order to be carried into effect as if it were an order passed by him.
Explanation.-In this section the term ” property ” includes, in the case of property regarding which an offence appears to have been committed, not only such property as has been originally in the possession or under the control of any person, but also any property into or for which the same may have been converted or exchanged and anything acquired by such conversion or exchange whether immediately or otherwise.
