Section 500. Order for disposal of property at conclusion of trial.

(1) When an investigation, inquiry or trial in any Criminal Court is concluded, the
Court or the Magistrate 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 any offence appears to have been committed, or which has been used for the
commission of any offence.
(2) An order may be made under sub-section (1) for the delivery of any property to
any person claiming to be entitled to the possession thereof, without any condition or on
condition that he executes a bond, with or without securities, to the satisfaction of the
Court or the Magistrate, engaging to restore such property to the Court if the order made
under sub-section (1) is modified or set aside on appeal or revision.
(3) A Court of Session may, instead of itself making an order under sub-section (1),
direct the property to be delivered to the Chief Judicial Magistrate, who shall thereupon
deal with it in the manner provided in sections 505, 506 and 507.
(4) Except where the property is livestock or is subject to speedy and natural decay,
or where a bond has been executed in pursuance of sub-section (2), an order made under
sub-section (1) shall not be carried out for two months, or when an appeal is presented,
until such appeal has been disposed of.
(5) 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 party, 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.